


The Beat of my Heart

by Jknight3135



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: F/F, Handcuffed Together, Hurt/Comfort, Kinda, Lot of OCs as side characters, Smut Eventually, Tags will be updated, This probably counts as slow burn, War, mention of suicidal thoughts, slow burn?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-22
Updated: 2020-03-31
Packaged: 2021-02-25 22:15:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 23,057
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21902833
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jknight3135/pseuds/Jknight3135
Summary: Adora and Catra accidentally activate an ancient First One ruin that was used to create specialized warriors. Together they must undergo the training regime of these ancient warriors if they want to escape and deal with their own issues along the way. If they manage that the world outside the ruins may be a very different place for them.
Relationships: Adora & Catra (She-Ra), Adora/Catra (She-Ra)
Comments: 20
Kudos: 143





	1. The Elevator

**Author's Note:**

> Takes place six months after the Battle of Brightmoon, but diverges from cannon immediately following the battle.

**The Beat of my Heart**

**Chapter One: The Elevator**

It always came down to the First Ones.

Their technology would decide the war, one way or another. It was what made her She-Ra, it protected Bright Moon, and was the source of much of the Hordes’ reverse engineered equipment. The First Ones would decide this war with the scraps they left behind on Etheria, to that end the Rebellion was digging through every record they had on known First One ruins, anywhere that they might find something useful. Something that might give them an edge. 

After Catra nearly destroyed Bright Moon neither side had been able to gather enough strength to do anything meaningful to the other, and so for six months things had stalled out. Occasionally the two sides skirmished trying to scout the other out, or at the site of some First One ruins. Nothing decisive had happened yet however, though this would not last for long.

Adora ran her hand over the sparse pile of documents on the table before her. They needed something if the Horde had enough time to rebuild they might not be able to hold them off again. It was easier for the Horde to rebuild its strength, since they literally built most of it, the tanks, robots, and guns were easy to manufacture. The Rebellions’ wounds took longer to heal.

“What do we know about this place?” She asked looking to Bow sitting across the table from her. 

Bow frowned at the scroll in his hands, which told Adora they clearly did not know enough. “We know where the place is _roughly._ I’m sure we could get close enough to find it, First One ruins aren’t usually known for their subtle design.”

Adora frowned at him but he continued, oblivious. “We know the First Ones used it to create powerful warriors they called ‘Heartbound’.”

“Warriors like She-Ra?” Glimmer asked glancing at Adora.

“No, at least I don’t think so. Other First Ones documents always referred to She-Ra as She-Ra.” Bow replied shuffling the papers in front of him. “I wish we knew more about this place, but maybe we can figure something out while we’re there.”

Adora shrugged and stood up. “It hardly even matters, if we can find it we should go after it, if for no other reason than to make sure the Horde doesn’t get it.” She looked to Bow and Glimmer who both nodded their agreement. “Alright let’s get our gear together and move out.”

\-----------------------------------------------------

“Captain!” A voice called down the corridor causing Catra to look up from the reports she had been going over. She sighed setting the datapad down on her desk and easing back in her chair slightly. The shout had sounded excited but not urgent so it was probably not an emergency. _Probably._ A moment later Lyndis, her scout sergeant, came in through the open door to her office. 

Catra leaned forward resting her elbows on the desk. “Are the sparklers up to something?” She asked one eyebrow raised. That was the most likely reason her scout sergeant would be here.

“Seem to be Ma’m She-Ra, Glimmer, and Bow were spotted moving North with camping equipment.” Lyn reported standing crisply at attention just inside the door. They had scouts watching the whispering wood, it had regrown since her last assault which made anything more than surveying the edge difficult until entrapta could come up with another way to get through it since her last trick didn’t seem to work anymore. 

“North? Up into the alpine forests.” Catra paused mulling the information over in her head. “They’re probably after some First One ruins, can’t imagine what else would be up there.”

Lyn just shrugged, that kind of speculation was above her pay grade.

Catra nodded decision made. “Excellent work Lyn, tell Hollin to get her ship ready, we’ll see what it is they’re after.”

The sergeant salluted crisply and turned on her heel to carry out her orders. Catra pushed herself back from her desk and walked over to a solid steel locker, one of the few pieces of furniture in the office besides her desk and the uncomfortable pair of chairs in front of it. She punched in a code on the lockers keypad and it opened with a click. First she pulled out a pair of boots, she wasn’t normally one to wear boots or even shoes for that matter but it would be cold up north and she hated her feet getting cold, these boots were insulated and flexible, they would do. Next she pulled out a thick half-cloak of black linen with a warm fleece lining, wrapping it around her shoulders and pinning it in place with a steel clasp. Finally she pulled out her gauntlets, two wicked looking pieces of armor, overlapping steel plates gliding over one another with razor sharp claws of their own. She slipped one on flexing her fingers in the soft inner glove watching the metal plates flex clicking softly. They were a little heavy but they were tough and protected her hands from even She-Ra’s sword. She slid the other gauntlet on and tightened the buckles on her forearm. She had found them in a ruin after managing to push the prissy princess party out of them. They had thought the ruins were First One, but after the battle closer inspection revealed them not to be and the gauntlets were the only thing of value that had been there. Still she had won a victory and got a sweet piece of gear out of it, though she wondered who had made the ruins if not the First Ones.

Her Magikat magic worked through them too which was strange because it didn’t work through other gloves she had worn. Magikats had real claws of course but they also had a natural magic that enhanced their claws for fighting, her real claws wouldn’t cut through steel like her magikat claws could. Of course she had never met another Magikat to confirm this, she had only Shadow Weavers word. That was usually worthless but well it _seemed_ to be true from her own experience at least.

Catra didn’t trust magic because of the shadow witch but she had used the magikat magic for so long she didn’t really count it, it was part of her. Too damn useful by half besides.

She closed the locker and swept out of the office towards the hangar bay.

\-----------------------------------------

Adora sat on a log next to the fire, an oily rag in her hand as she cleaned the sword. _Her_ sword. She looked down tilting the blade until her own eyes looked back at her in the reflection, she saw the hidden fear, the nerves, the pressure in those eyes. Was she so obvious to everyone else? She sighed and set the blade down across her lap.

“You okay Adora?” Bow asked from across the fire.

“Would you believe me if I said yes?” She asked a crooked smile splitting her lips.

“No.” He shrugged. “But that’s also not why I asked.”

Adora smiled softly at him.

“You know we’re here for you Adora, me Glim, everyone.” He glanced sidelong at Glimmers’ tent, she was asleep already which was why Bow was pressing this now, he wouldn’t while she was around. Not that it was a secret from her, just that... well she wasn’t understanding in the same way.

“I know Bow and I appreciate you all, but…” She shook her head and put her hands on her temples. 

“But we aren’t _her._ ” Bow said.

Adora snapped her head up a slightly pained expression on her face, an empty denial on her tongue, but Bow stopped her with a raised hand.

“You don’t have to lie to me Adora.” He looked off to the side putting his hands together in front of him as he leaned forward on his knees. “I get it Adora, really I do. What you had, what you still have with her is special. She’s part of who you are and being separated from her like this is tearing you apart, not to mention everyone in the Rebellion putting pressure on you because you’re She-Ra.” He looked at her now, fixing her with a steady gaze over the dancing flames. “I can’t imagine how hard it must be for you.” He hummed in thought before turning back to her. “Maybe, maybe forcing her to talk to you is something we should think about.”

“What do you mean?” Adora was not optimistic about this plan, but the hope in her made her lean forward and listen. 

“I don’t think Catra is a bad person, I think she’s angry, I think she’s being manipulated. If we could just force her to sit down and cool her heels long enough for you two to talk, really talk about.” He gestured at Adora. “This, I think you could iron things out.” 

Adora sighed. “I don’t even know what I would say to her…”

“It would come to you in the moment, I'm sure, I just don’t know how we could do it. Capturing her isn’t an option.” Bow replied, placing a hand on his chin in thought.

“It isn’t?” Adora asked confused, that had been her first thought.

“No, the Princesses wouldn’t let her simply sit in confinement long enough for this to work, they would want a trial or an interrogation or something done. They would antagonize her and she would never be receptive to working things out. Honestly the Rebellion would probably antagonize her even after, they’re just too fractious and stubborn to forgive her.”

“There is a fair amount of reason not too.” Adora temperized, though she agreed with Bow.

“If we can’t look past someone's actions and see the person within we are no better than the Horde. We will have to do a lot of looking past peoples actions if we win, we can’t just imprison or execute every Horde soldier out there.”

“So what do we do about it?” Adora asked.

“Hmm maybe we should just handcuff you together and dump you out in the forest together.” Adora stared at him but the smirk on his face told her it was a joke. “Let’s sleep on it, maybe Glimmer will have an idea.”

Adora nodded happy at least to have some kind of tangible goal to work towards rather than the nebulous objective of winning the war. “Thank you Bow, really this means a lot to me.”

“What are friends for?”

\--------------------------------------------

“This place is huge!” Glimmer shouted bounding through the last of the trees into the clearing around the first ones ruin. 

“Glim we knew that two days ago when we could see it from the hilltops.” Adora said, though she too stepped out into the clearing to gawk at the massive structure.

It was huge, tall bright white stone making peaked towers high above the treetops, like most First One ruins it seemed like the ravishes of time had been easy on the structure, their were signs of age, but not nearly as much as you would expect from something so old. It wasn’t as grand as the Crystal Castle, but it was certainly impressive. 

Bow came up next to Adora with the map of the structure they had found amongst their scant few documents about it. “According to this there is a lot more underground than there is above ground too. So it’s even bigger than it looks.”

Adora whistled impressed, the First Ones really were something else. “Well let’s see if we can break in!” Adora said with a grin.

Glimmer and Bow looked at each other sidelong a silent conversation passing between them in the space of a second. “You’re a menace to society.” Glimmer said.

Adora continued smiling. “Guess that’s why I’ve got the sword.” She replied marching forward without another glance back.

The front door it turned out was open eons of weather had made a mess of the entryway spilling loose soil and some plant life into the room but not very far into the main hall. The hall was no different than the exterior of the building, large impressive, decidedly fractal and angular in design. The ceiling rose upward into a distant blueish darkness high above, several passages branched off of the main hall but they moved straight towards the large room at the center of the structure. That seemed a good a place as any to start exploring the ruin.

The main room was apparently some kind of control room, large but cluttered with banks of equipment and terminals all centered around a large platform elevator the track for which descended off into a long dark tunnel at a steep angle. The platform itself must have been at or near the bottom only the yawning hole remained at the top.

Adora crouched at the edge of the shaft peering down into the darkness, she nudged a stone into the shaft and it skittered down the slope and out of sight. No sign of it having hit the bottom came even after several seconds of listening. “No getting back out of there without a rope at least.” 

“I wouldn’t want to slide down either, that’s a long way down.” He grimaced. “And an even longer climb back out, my arms hurt just thinking about it.”

Adora grimaced as well, she knew she could do it, it wasn’t anything she hadn’t prepared for during Horde training, but she wasn’t looking forward to it. “Yeah but I’d bet my left boob that anything worth getting from this place is down there.”

Bow looked at her sidelong. “You can keep your boob, but I’m pretty sure you’re right.”

“Yeah you’re right it’s not much use unless you have both of em’.” Adora grinned puffing out her chest.

Bow just rolled his eyes. His reply was cut off by voices coming from one of the other passages leading into the main room.

“This must be it!” Scorpia shouted coming into the room followed by Catra and Horde soldiers. Catra was shaking her head as Scorpia stared dumbstruck at the three rebels staring back at her. “I can’t take you anywhere.”

———————————————————-

She-Ra ducked underneathe a swipe of Catra’s claws, the Magikat magic searing lines in the air over her head. She swung back her sword cutting nothing as Catra evaded the riposte in turn.

They parted slightly scowling at each other before the next round of blows. Adora hated this, hated fighting Catra, hated fighting her friend. It hurt every time and never got any easier no matter how many times they clashed.

It always brought the old argument back to the forefront of her mind. What if she had done things just a little bit differently? Would they still be here like this? Or would things be different? Better? She tried to push those thoughts out of her mind and focus.

They closed again trading blows, sword to claw. Adora swung and caught Catra against one of the armored gauntlets. A block, but She-Ras greater strength was telling here, the force of the blow knocked Catra sideways, over the edge and into the long dark elevator shaft.

Adora didn’t think about her next move, she just lunged on instinct catching Catra’s hand before she could slide away down the shaft. Her shoulder jerked painfully as Catra came to a stop on the sloping tunnel side. They locked eyes for a moment Catra’s mismatched cat eyes locking onto her pale blue. A flurry of emotion exchanged in that one look, anger, fear, gratitude, worry, a familiar nostalgia all smashed into the blink of an eye as she held onto Catra’s arm. 

Then the facility awoke, the ancient machinery of the First Ones coming to life with a rumbling groan that shook the facility, irritated by the battle going on within it’s halls. The ground shook, loose debris fell from the ceiling far above and She-Ra felt herself being pulled over the edge, the quaking ground straining her already tenuous hold on the elevator lip. Their eyes locked again and meaning passed between them once more.

Adora could let go of Catra or they could fall together.

Adora tumbled painfully onto the steep slope of the elevator shaft before she was able to right herself into a more controlled slide one hand trailing one leg leading as they raced down into the darkness. Though this did not last long as the ancient structure came to life strips of emergency lighting built into the walls came alive lighting the way with a ruddy red light. Adora rolled out of the way of a pile of broken tiles, the tunnel was in rough shape and debris littered the path. She looked over to Catra who seemed to be faring better on the slide her natural agility and grace lending her a hand in this. Also she was quite clearly very angry.

————————————————————————

Catra scowled at She-Ra, angry that Adora had chosen to fall with her rather than save herself. That even now after all this time she would still put herself at risk to save even her, after all she had done.

Catra pounced claws slashing cutting furrows in the stone of the elevator shaft with a cascade of sparks She-ra rolled away from the attack, sliding sideways as they fell. Catra caught her with a kick though and the warrior princess lost control of her slide, tumbling as she struggled to right herself. A chunk of debris caught her in the side, some piece of fallen ceiling tile. The chunk of stone exploded in a shower of dust and debris as She-Ra plowed through the rubble. Catra heard a grunt of pain and it was Adora who came rolling down the shaft and not She-Ra. She curled into herself clutching her ribs her face screwed into a grimace of pain. Finally they reached the elevator platform though it was not the end of the shaft, the platform was simply stopped partway down leaving them trapped. Catra leapt the last dozen feet rolling onto the platform and rising back to her feet in one fluid motion. Adora hit the platform and rolled to a stop before curling back around herself.

But even as Catra walked over to her she tried to push herself up, one hand held over her injured ribs, the other flat against the ground. 

Catra rolled Adora onto her back with a foot and wrapped a gauntleted hand around her throat lifting her off the ground. Adora wrapped her hands around Catra’s forearm but she was too weak now to free herself, one eye closed with a gash over the eyebrow, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth.

Catra grinned crookedly as her free hand cocked back ready to tear Adora’s heart out. She looked up into her eyes and waited for the hate, the fear, the despair to fill those pure blue eyes.

But all she saw there in those sea blue eyes was a sadness so deep it tore at her heart and a grim acceptance of a fate she believed she had brought on herself. Catra’s fist closed clenching until the metal of her gauntlets creaked, shaking with rage.

“Why can’t you just hate me?” She screamed.

“I-I could never hate you of all people.” She choked out, her lips curling into a smile despite the tears rolling down her cheeks.

Catra threw her across the platform and smashed her fist into the wall cracking the stone.

“You don’t hate me either.” Catra’s head snapped around to glare at her. “If you did you’d have killed me six months ago in the First One’s temple.” Adora said as she slowly pushed herself into a sitting position against a console in the center of the platform.

Catra snarled walking towards her, claws spread wide. “I hate you.”

“Then kill me.” Adora retorted, her eyes focused on Catra daring her to do it. “I can’t stop you.” She turned her head and spat a glob of blood.

Catra glared down at her, she clenched her fists until her whole body shook. With a scream of frustration she turned away. “AGH weak stupid! It would be so easy so why can’t I just do it!”

Adora groaned and pushed herself up into a sitting position wincing at the pain in her ribs. “Easy things rarely are.” She replied quietly with a mauldin smile.

Catra frowned at her over her shoulder. “You’re one to talk.”

Adora’s smile disappeared. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“What? Leaving the Horde to join your prissy rebellion? Living in a castle and leaving me behind? You certainly made it seem easy.” Catra growled in return.

“Easy? You think leaving you that day was easy? For what? A bed in castle? Not having to wake up for PT every morning?” Catra was about to retort but Adora cut her off. “You want to know what would be easy? Letting you kill me, at least that way I wouldn’t have to live with my broken promise anymore.”

Catra was taken aback, she hadn’t expected that, but Adora wasn’t done yet.

“I wouldn’t have to die a little inside every time I looked at you.” Adora looked up at her, tears brimming over to roll slowly down her cheek. “I wouldn’t have to go over what I could have done, what I could have said to convince you to stay with me for the thousandth time.” She sucked in a shaky breath but continued. “I wouldn’t have to endure another night unable to sleep because the bed is too soft, the castle is too quiet, and you aren’t there with me…” Her eyes fell to the floor her face darkening. “In those nights I go over what you could have said to make me go back with you, to set aside my morals and ignore the suffering just to be back with you.”

“Death would be easy, a release from this hell I’ve made. But every time I come close I see the look in your eyes, or Bows or Glimmers, the look that still wants me to be there the next day.” She shrugged a soft sad smile curling her lips ever so slightly. “People here still need me, so I guess I’ll stick around, even though it’s hard to bear everyone's hopes, everyone’s dreams, all my failures.” Adora looked up and Catra looked into her eyes but Adora was looking through her, not at her. “I don’t know what it’s like for you in the Horde now, but life in the rebellion is hard. Everyone expects She-Ra to save the day, to give them a better future, to be a fairytale hero like some children's story, but it’s just me Catra. She-Ra under all the shinning armor and muscle is still just me and I don’t know how to win a war.” All the confidence had drained away from Adora, the heroic facade was gone and now she just looked tired and alone.

“So much of what made me strong came from you Cat. With you gone I feel like half of me is missing and I don’t know how to keep going like that.” Adora sighed tiredly and rubbed her face with her hands. “They’re good people, Glimmer, Bow and the rest. They’re different though, they didn’t grow up in the Horde, they don’t always understand me on a fundamental level. They aren’t you, and they never will be.”

This was a part of Adora no one else had ever seen, but Adora was showing it to her. Her deepest darkest thoughts the things that really bothered her. Adora had bared her emotions, her thoughts, her fears. Her greatest enemy was still her oldest friend, the only one she could share her troubles with.

It left her feeling shallow and callous somehow. Like her own problems were insignificant, she had never contemplated suicide, though perhaps that was because the kind of failure that would lead to those thoughts would result in her death anyway, as a consequence or as a punishment.

“I just don’t understand how you could throw away all that we had worked for so quickly.” Catra asked quietly. “For people you barely knew.”

“It wasn’t easy, but I know wrong when I see it. I had been blind before, happy to swallow the propaganda in ignorance, but once I found the truth?” She shook her head slowly. “I couldn’t go back Cat.”

“But we were so close, you were Force Captain! We could have changed things when we took over.” Catra replied weakly, the argument sounded hollow in her ears, why had it seemed so strong before?

“At what cost? How many innocents would die while we climbed the ranks?” Catra was about to reply but Adora stopped her short again. “How many times would I recreate myself? Another orphan never knowing their parents, raised to be a good little Horde soldier. Just like you and me.” Adora’s eyes bore into her and she withered under their glare.

Catra’s reply died on her tongue. Memories of her childhood in the Horde flooding into her mind, the life spent in toil and misery under the iron thumb of the Horde with Adora being the only glimmer of light. She couldn’t imagine inflicting that on someone else.

“I miss you to you know.” Catra sat down leaning against a console opposite to the one Adora leaned against. “I have my own room now but the bed feels cold and empty.”

She sighed. Why did everything have to be so complicated? She didn’t want to think about this. Didn’t want to have to face the choices she had made. All she wanted was to go back to the way things were, when all that mattered was training, where she could curl up in bed with Adora and get a good night's sleep in the cold barracks. That wasn’t reality though, she would have to think about this, she would have to make a choice. 

Not now, she needed time, she needed space, she needed to get out of this hole.

“Let’s… let’s just get out of this hole.”

\--------------------------------------------------------

Adora sighed quietly, wincing at the pain this caused her ribs. Catra was looking back up the elevator shaft arms crossed over her chest, one finger tapping at her arm. There was still so much more she wanted to say, more apologies she wanted to make, but Catra was done for now. Adora knew her friend, she didn’t like to contemplate her choices at the best of times, she would need time to think now, but Adora didn’t want her heading back to the Horde. Her thoughts would be colored there, she needed to think clearly. Fortunately, it looked like they probably weren’t going anywhere any time soon.

“Well we aren’t climbing out of here.” Adora mused out loud. 

Catra’s grimace told her she agreed.

“Maybe the elevator still works?” Adora wondered craning her head back to look at the console she was leaning against.

“Even if it is will it get us to the top? The track looked pretty rough on the way down.”

“Trust me, I’m aware.” Adora replied sourly still holding her injured side.

Catra sighed looking at Adora. Shook her head. Rolled her eyes and then sighed again walking towards Adora, a whole internal debate writ across her face in those few moments. “Let me look at it and see how bad it is.”

“You don’t-” Catra gave her a bored look. Adora sighed. “Alright.”

She pulled her shirt up letting Catra get a look at her injured ribs.

Catra knelt down and pulled off one of her gauntlets to feel at the injury. Large black and blue bruises were already spreading across her side and stomach. She winced involuntarily, that looked painful. Gently she began to prod and feel around Adora’s ribs checking if any of them were broken. Adora sucked in a breath through clenched teeth. 

“Well I don’t think any of your ribs are broken, She-ra probably took the brunt of it for you.” Catra said pulling her hand back from Adora’s skin.

Adora pulled her shirt back down and held up a hand. “Alright help me up and I’ll look at the controls here.”

Catra took her hand and pulled Adora to her feet, the warrior princess leaned on her for a moment as pain twisted her face but it passed and Adora let go of her and leaned on the console instead. A small part of her mind mused at how easily they slipped back into their comfortable old ways, as though they weren’t mortal enemies. 

“Can you actually work this stuff?” Catra asked, the display made her think of one of Entrapta’s gadgets but different too.

“I can read the labels, but that doesn’t always help as much as you might think.” Adora smiled weakly. 

“Well is there something that says up, or down?” She asked.

“Uhh commence?” Adora replied dubiously as she read the labels.

Catra wandered over to the other console across from the one Adora was tinkering at and shrugged. “Sure why not?”

Adora pressed the control. Immediately lights flashed around the elevator, machinery hummed to life and a holographic figure appeared and began speaking in a calm emotionless voice. 

“Power levels... acceptable, equipment status… acceptable, authorization… accepted, beginning Heartbond procedure.”

“What does that me-” Catra was cut off mid sentence.

Adora could feel power surging through the facility, through the air itself. She could feel it for just an instant before it happened. A flush of warmth that crawled across her skin and gave her goosebumps, for just an instant she felt this before the stasis field froze her in place. It was a strange feeling, being utterly trapped inside her own body, every muscle relaxed but completely unresponsive. Her eyes could move though her eyelids did not. She could still breathe though only in short shallow breaths. She saw Catra was the same, her mismatched eyes darting around while her face was frozen in slight apprehension, it would have made her laugh if she hadn’t been terrified. The field moved them lifting them off the ground to hang in mid air arms out to their sides heads forward facing each other.

A panel slid open on the floor and a pillar of machinery unfolded from within, delicate mechanical arms unfolding like some kind of nightmarish flower. An intricate arm reached out to her and stuck a long thin cable into the side of her neck the end puncturing her skin with it’s sharp gold plated prongs. More arms attached small electrodes to her skin all over her body. The metal pads were strangely warm and they stuck to her skin humming with energy. A rounded head with a black glass band across it moved over to her, Adora recognized the device as a sensor of some kind. It looked just like the infrared camera pods on the Horde landers though much smaller.

Occupant vitals… OK

Scanner… OK

Stasis field… OK

Power feed… OK

Heart tap… OK

All systems OK

Commencing scan.

The sensor arm lit up emitting a harsh red laserlight that scanned back and forth across her body. Adora could feel it moving across her, the scanner was so powerful it felt like a sandblaster bombarding her with energy and leaving an unpleasant tingling sensation in its wake.

Scan complete.

Occupants viable!

Estimated bond strength 92%

Exceptionally high strength detected!

Manual controls overriden by Order 23-5A, commencing bond.

Another arm unfolded itself from the machine three long needles nested at it’s head with large glass reservoirs behind. Plastic surgical tubing trailed away from them disappearing into the depths of the machine. She couldn’t move, she could barely breathe her mind whirled in a panic but the signals never reached her muscles, for all her struggle all she managed was for a single tear to roll down her cheek.

The mechanical arm approached and punched the trio of needles into her heart. She wanted to scream, to cry out to gasp and writhe but she couldn’t, trapped inside her skin with the pain. All she could do was watch as a dark blue fluid filled one of the reservoirs before the machine injected it into her, it flooded a soothing cold through her veins that made her feel drowsy and sluggish slowing her panicked mind somewhat. At the same moment another of the trio of needles began drawing blood, bright red and bubbling as it spilled into the disquietingly large reservoir. 

Adora was no expert on anatomy or biology but she knew there was only _so much_ blood you could lose before you were a goner. That was something they had learned in their limited first aid training in the Horde, how large a puddle of blood could get before there was no hope without a transfusion. The blue fluid was pumping into her but it’s reservoir was much smaller than the other two, she couldn’t tell how large they were, was it three liters? Less? Adora was tall and thick with muscle, she _might_ be able to survive losing three liters of blood, but Catra certainly would not with her smaller frame. 

As this was burning through her mind the third reservoir began to fill with blood. On some kind of base instinctual level that she could not adequately describe she could tell that it wasn’t her own blood. Glancing up she could see Catra in the same position, needles sunk into her chest and blood flowing into the machine. Her eyes slowly followed the tubing from Catra down into the machine and then to the filling glass before her. Blood pumped down the tubing to the third as yet unused needle. The effects of giving someone a transfusion of the wrong type of blood floated to the top of her mind, and she knew that she and Catra did not share a blood type. 

The blood hit her veins like fire overtaking the soothing cold of the blue liquid and spreading fire through her body. The needles finished their procedure and retracted cold and unconcerned with the pain they had caused. Adora felt like her insides were on fire and she only became aware that the stasis field was dissipating when the sound of her own screaming registered in her brain. She strained against the stasis writhing as her body burned from within while she was slowly lowered to the floor.

Catra.

All she could think of was Catra. Her mind became flooded by dozens of overlapping memories. She crawled as the machine folded itself back into the floor cold and uncaring of the turmoil it left in its wake. Catra was crawling towards her as well. Her body resisted the signals to move forward, hindered by the pain but the turmoil in her mind won out forcing her tortured body to move. She grasped Cata’s hand and soothing relief flooded into her from the contact. They pulled close to each other until they were pressed together with a desperate strength. Adora’s hands entwined into Catra’s mane while the feline’s claws dug into her back, Catra’s head tucked under Her chin their legs entwined. There was no space in her head to contemplate what she was doing or what was happening. Her mind was filled only with the need to be close to Catra, Catra soothed the pain in both her mind and body and that was all that mattered right now. 

Mercifully the new Heartbound warriors passed into blissful unconsciousness held close together, as the elevator slowly began to descend.


	2. Stuck with you

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Catra and Adora begin their training as Heartbound warriors. The world outside the ruins checks in.

**Chapter 2: Stuck with you**

“Glimmer we need to go, NOW!” Bow screamed as he fell back towards the entrance to the now chaotic control room, bounding over a bank of equipment chased by the yellow stun beams being fired from the Horde soldiers across the room. The Horde soldiers used the stun weapons against them, presumably because they were more useful as prisoners than corpses. He wouldn’t complain, besides he didn’t use proper arrows against them in return. Sort of an unspoken agreement. Or at least he liked to think so, the Horde may have had different reasons for using non-lethal weapons.

“Adora is still down there!” Glimmer replied taking cover from the stunner fire as well, an edge of desperation in her voice.

“The door is closed Glimmer, if you teleport down there you’ll just be stuck with them, you can’t possibly get all the way out of the shaft with Adora.” Bow ducked as a stun blast hit the bank of computers he was hiding behind. The acrid smell of burnt electronics began to fill the air.

“Quarantine is in effect, Heartbound training in progress evacuate the structure.” A mechanical voice echoed through the structure briefly halting the combat taking place.

“That sounds bad.” Glimmer said into the silence.

Mechanical clicks and chirps began to filter down from above drawing the attention of the rooms occupants upwards into the vaulted ceiling. Mechanical spiders had begun emerging from passages above and were making their way down the walls towards them.

Bow grabbed Glimmer and dragged her towards the exit. “Nonononono not again!” Glimmer found her feet and ran with him as the sound of real proper gunfire erupted behind them, apparently the Horde soldiers didn’t pull punches against robots. “I am not fighting giant robot spiders again!”

“Bow Adora is still back there with Catra!” She argued between breaths.

Bow frowned glancing over his shoulder at the control room. “I know that Glim, but we cannot get to her with the Horde  _ and  _ the spiders in there. We don’t know what’s down that shaft but if anyone can handle it, it is those two.”

“Unless Catra kills her first!” Glimmer replied hotly.

They burst out of the door they had entered through and covered the short distance across open ground to the edge of the forest where they stopped to take a breath hidden amongst the foliage. “I don’t think that will be a problem Glimmer.”

“I mean I have faith in Adora too but....” Bow stopped her with a hand.

“No that’s not what I meant.” He sighed. “I don’t think Catra would kill Adora, even if she won.”

“She’s tried pretty hard before.” She replied coldly crossing her arms across her chest.

Bow held up his hands placatingly. “Adora and I were talking about this last night, this might even be good for them.”

“WHAT?” Glimmer roared.

Bow winced and glanced across the clearing at the structure. “Keep it down we’re trying to hide.” He sighed at her expectant look. “Catra and Adora  _ need  _ to sort their shit out, they need to do it together, and they need to do it away from everyone else who would get between them.” Glimmer was about to retort that that was a stupid plan and they were idiots for even considering it but Bow interrupted her.

“It’s tearing Adora up inside.” Bow stared her down and she was forced to look away unable to take the intensity of his resolve. “She needs Catra Glim, and I’d be willing to bet Catra needs her too but they can’t sort out their… issues while other people are around trying to impart their side. They need some time alone together. Badly.”

Glimmer scowled. The fact that Adora  _ needed  _ that mangy cat irritated her. It was clearly true though, she had noticed Adora’s mood, and she had begrudgingly come to the same conclusion as Bow. That fact made her even more mad, the fact that Catra gave Adora something that she couldn’t. Her hands clenched into fists, but her anger passed, there was nothing she could do now. 

“So what do we do?” She asked defeated.

Bow eyed her for a moment but didn’t probe her. “We should head back to our camp, we can watch the ruins from there until Adora comes out, we can’t hang around here though, the Horde outnumber us.”

“What if they go down there to get Catra?”

“They can’t get past the First One bots just like us.” As though to emphasize his point they could hear the sound of an explosion and heavy auto-cannon fire coming from the far side of the building.

\---------------------------------------------------------

Lyndis ran, legs pumping down the First One corridor skidding around the corner she saw the bright light of the exit approaching. She pulled the tube off her back and unlatched it allowing it to spring to it’s full length. She slid to a halt and looked back down the corridor taking a knee as she set the tube on her shoulder.

Three more members of her squad came pelting around the corner running hell for leather towards her, but she could hear the rapid clanking stride of the spider that was chasing them. 

“GET OUTTA THE WAY!” She yelled and her squadmates lunged to the side giving her a clear shot as the mechanical beast rounded the corner. Lyn pressed down on the plunger and the rocket burst from the launcher with a loud CHOONK. The flare of the motor illuminated the hall as it shot down the passageway before slamming into the mechanical spider and exploding tearing the front half of the beast to scrap.

“Yes!” She cheered, but her excitement was short lived as another spider rounded the corner. She dumped the spent tube off her shoulder and turned to run back towards the exit. She put her hand to her ear piece. “Hollin how’s the bird? We might need to get out of here real fast!”

“Oh it’s just fine.” The pilot purred with that calm drawl that all pilots seemed to inherit.

Looking up she saw the ship hovering in front of the large entry way, she could see Hollin’s helmeted head looking past her down the hall and that of her gunner in the seat behind her.

“Left side if you please.” Hollin said into the mic.

“Left side!” She shouted back to her squadmates.

All four of them hugged the left side of the hall as they ran. Hollin opened fire with the twin auto-cannons mounted in the chin turret. Rounds ripped through the air past Lyn tearing one mechanical spider to shreds before the hail of gunfire tracked onto another one. Lyn ran out the doorway past the ships nose feeling the heavy concussion of the muzzle blast as she passed the guns and made it to the open side door. She waited there until the other three with her made it out before she climbed into the back of the ship. The other side door was open as well and from there she could see the rest of her team at another doorway into the facility. Scorpia was there with them and they were firing into the hallway.

“Hollin we need to pick up Scorpia and the rest and get out of here before those spiders make it out here.” Lyn said into her ear piece.

“Roger that.” The hovering craft leaned sideways and strafed along the building towards Scorpia and the troops with her. A tricky maneuver but it kept the open side door towards the troops so they could jump in quickly.

“Scorpia we need to get out of here!” Lyn shouted to the force captain.

Scorpia glanced at her a scowl on her face. “Catra is still in there!”

“I know but... “ Lyn growled she hated to leave the Captain behind. “There’s nothing we can do for her, there’s no way we can push past those things!”

Scropia knew she was right but didn’t want to give up on a rescue. 

Giant blast doors slammed down sealing the entrance to the facility making the point moot.

The gunfire ceased and the only sound left was the screaming turbines and Lyns’ pounding heart.

\------------------------------------------------------------------

Catra floated in a sea of velvety blackness, it was warm encompassing and completely empty of everything. It was the first time she had felt relaxed in almost a year. That thought struck her as true and not just exaggeration for comedic effect. A fact dredged up from the back of her mind and planted into this unwaking darkness. She let it go, she was too comfortable to be bothered by strange thoughts from the part of her mind that wasn’t focused on being comfortably asleep. Ah but that made sense, she was asleep, it seemed obvious now in retrospect but that was the thing with waking up wasn’t it? She was in that in between where the unknowable depths of the mind met the waking world funneled into her mind by her senses. Those senses began to trickle in information as her mind slowly spun up towards being able to actually form thoughts rather than merely catching them like discarded flotsam from her subconscious. 

She was warm and comfortable, that was the same, perhaps the real world had influenced her dreamscape? Though the air was cold, she wasn’t warm under covers she was laying on something warm, warm and surprisingly firm for how comfortable it was to lay on. Catra usually preferred to sleep on something soft though she had precious little opportunity for it. More sensations came in becoming more detailed, her face was pressed against something that wasn’t a pillow, and it wasn’t a pillow because it pulsated, no that wasn’t right, it didn’t pulsate it had a pulse. She could feel it against her cheek a slow steady thump-thump. 

A heartbeat. 

Catra listened for her own heartbeat and was slightly startled to find the pulse matched her own heartbeat perfectly. They were so closely in sync that it was difficult to tell them apart. That was strange but perhaps not as strange as the fact that she was sleeping on something or someone. What had happened last night? Her mind reached back but recoiled when a wash of pain spilled forth from the darkness of her recent memory. She would have to open her eyes and give up the last vestiges of sleep if she wanted to know. Damn it all.

Her eyes cracked open and were immediately seared by the painful light. She reflexively curled into the thing she was laying on burying her face in it to protect her bleary eyes. This seems to have roused the firm yet comfortable bedding.

“Kitten?” Came the hazy question.

Kitten. Adora had called her that for a long time, a long time ago. She had stopped, at Catra’s request, long before Adora deserted. The name brought up a swell of emotions she had long thought buried a painful nostalgia, memories of when they were kids together in the Horde and other… warm feelings. 

It was Adora she was laying on of course, she should have recognized right away from the scent, but well, her mind was jumbled at best. With that realization the painful memories of last night came back to her, the elevator, the machine, the blood transfusion and the pain.

What had it done to them?

Catra pushed herself up to look at Adora. She was still part asleep but she was coming to, her eyes coming up to meet Catra’s.

Catra frowned. “You haven’t called me kitten in a long time.” 

Adora’s face contorted as her mind worked through the mental gymnastics of waking up. “I believe that was at your stringent request.” She pressed her hands to her face rubbing her eyes.

It was, she had asked Adora repeatedly to stop calling her that. A rebellious notion of impetuousness against a ‘childish’ nickname. You didn’t call big strong Horde girls ‘kitten’. 

“I felt like I was waking up from back then, it’s been a long time since we woke up together like this.” Adora replied scooting back and sitting up, wincing slightly from the pain of her ribs.

Catra stood up and took stock of their surroundings, as she stood she felt a tug on her heart as though it were literally being pulled toward Adora who was still lying on the ground. She gasped at the pain and Adora gripped her chest as well. Catra fell back down to her knees and immediately felt better. 

Her eyes met Adora’s as they caught their breath. “What the hell was that?”

“Felt like my heart was trying to crawl out of my chest.” Adora replied grimacing.

Catra nodded now wary of moving away from Adora, She looked around as best she could from where they were.

The elevator had slid down to the bottom of the shaft and the tunnel behind them was now sealed with a large impressive looking blast door. They now sat at one end of an extremely long but relatively narrow room. Perhaps three-hundred meters wide but probably multiple kilometers long, she couldn’t tell from here the far end of the room was blocked from view by distance and vegetation. The sides of the room were forested with with a thick strip of dense forest. The walls beyond stretched up to a high vaulted ceiling, the ceiling was special too. It flowed and shimmered displaying the sky above with an incredible accuracy that made it appear almost as if there was no ceiling at all, but close inspection revealed the high vaulted arches hidden in the illusion. 

“What the hell is this place?” Catra mused out loud.

“This is the Heartbound training area.” A holographic figure said appearing before them. Stiff and impassive the glow of her seemed harsh to Catra and she had to squint to continue looking at the figure.

“Does that mean anything to you?” Catra asked looking over to Adora. They carefully stood up together feeling the pull towards each other whenever they moved more than a few feet apart.

“Kind of.” Adora replied frowning. “The papers that lead us here said that this place was used to train warriors called Heartbound, but that’s about all we know about it.”

Catra shrugged turning back to the AI. “Okay so what does ‘Heartbound’ mean? What is it doing to us?”

“The Heartbound are paired warriors of unparalleled skill deployed to deal with extra ordinary threats. Every pair is different and the process affects each pair in different ways. This is an exceptionally variable pairing due to the high estimated bond strength and the mix of species.” The AI replied at length.

“There have never been heartbound Magikats or Etherians?” Adora asked next crossing one arm over her chest and gesturing with the other.

_ Also didn’t actually tell us about what that thing did to us.  _ Catra thought bitterly, but Adora’s question was also relevant so she didn’t say anything.  _ Probably wouldn’t have answered with anything useful anyway. _

“There have been Magikat Heartbound before, that is why this facility was originally constructed, the Magikat have an affinity for the Heartbound process due to the way their society focuses on life long mates. Mated pairs have exceptionally high bond strength.” The AI paused and Adora looked sidelong at Catra who shrugged. Catra didn’t know anything about Magikat customs. “Etherian humans cannot become Heartbound, it is theorized that their connection to Etheria’s magic interrupts the process.”

Adora frowned. “Is that going to be a problem for me?”

“Eternians have no issues becoming Heartbound other than the fact that their society's emphasis on large family houses reduces the average strength of the individual bonds necessary for proper Heartbound warriors.” The AI replied matter-of-factly.

“Wait wait wait, are you saying Adora is from Eternia?” Catra asked incredulous.

“Scans show a 99.9% match with Eternian DNA, my access to off planet data archives is down so I cannot pull up birth records.”

“There haven’t been Eternians on Etheria for thousands of years.” Catra replied skeptically.

“Scan data indicates a 99% probability of Eternian heritage with no major divergence.” The hologram said flatly.

Catra scowled at the hologram but Adora gave her a look that sad drop it. Though Catra could see the swirling thoughts behind her blue eyes. The news had clearly started something inside her.

“That’s not important right now, we need to get out of here.” Adora said turning back to the hologram.

“Heartbound training must be completed before exiting the facility. The bond is still raw now and outside interference must be minimized until it is solidified, training must be done to strengthen the bond and then it must be solidified at the end.” 

Catra growled in irritation. “Can’t you just undo it? We activated this thing by accident.” The growled.

“The Heartbound process cannot be reversed, the bond is far too intimate to be removed once applied. This is why if one member of a Heartbound pair dies the other follows quickly even if they are not physically injured. The mental strain is too much to bear.” The holograms words seemed devoid of emotion even though her voice was clearly inflected to give the impression of it. The inflection did not match the subject matter and only added to the unsettling alien nature of the AI.

_ Damned First Ones playing god. _ Adora thought bitterly, she was quite literally stuck with Catra now regardless of their issues, or that they were on opposite sides of a bloody war. She looked at Catra from the corner of her eye. Still, no one else she would rather be stuck with, even if it might end up killing her.

Catra had her face in her hands rubbing her eyes in frustration. “You mean I’m going to feel like my heart will explode if I step five feet away from her  _ forever? _ ” 

“No.” The AI responded, again the inflection suggested the machine did not know or care for the emotional turmoil it’s words had caused. “That will stop when the bond is solidified after training is complete.”

“Alright, we’ll have to go through the training to get this fixed and get out of here, how long will that take?” Adora aimed the second half as a question at the AI.

“Three days is the fastest pace allowed.”

“We’re gunna be stuck down here for three days?” Catra moaned.

The AI stoically ignored Catra’s outraged question. “The first task must be completed before resting for the day it is important that the bond be flexed before resting after it is formed.” The AI gestured to the path ahead where a series of walls split the path, each wall a little thicker than the last. “One of you must walk on either side of the wall, failing to follow instructions will have serious consequences on the long term health of the bond.” 

Both of them looked ahead at the long divided path and frowned. The pain of separation was still fresh in their minds, a few feet apart had been agony.

Catra gave the AI a threatening glare but turned back to the divided path ahead. “How serious do you think those consequences are?”

“Probably pretty bad.” Adora said sighing. “First Ones don’t usually pull punches or give second warnings.”  _ They tended to warn once and then sick robot spiders on you.  _ Adora thought bitterly.

“It’s not going to get any easier til it’s over.” Catra said with a defeated sigh.

That was a quip their instructors in the Horde often used during training, it seemed appropriate here.

Adora nodded and they both stepped forward into hell.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lyndis worked her knife against the piece of scrap wood in her hand. Slowly whittling away curls of the soft wood uncovering a shape beneath. Her companion paced by in front of her, for the hundredth time. She glanced down at the white stone of the First One ruin jutting out of the forest half a mile away. They sat atop a forested hill watching the ruin from what they hoped was a safe distance. So far the mechanical monsters had not emerged and the blast doors were still down. The Captain had not emerged either, nor She-Ra for that matter. 

Zilla paced in front of her again, her huge form blocking Lyn’s light as she passed. For an almost three-hundred pound mass of muscle and cartilage Zilla sure was a worrywort when it came to the Captain. Zilla was a shark beastman, one of the numerous species under the control of the Horde. Sharks were rare though, Zilla was the only one Lyndis knew, but there were others.

“Zil pacing isn’t going to get the Captain out any sooner.” Lyn said slowly, eyes focused on the wood in her hand.

The big shark stopped her pacing for a moment to contemplate the ruins. “I know, I’m just…”

“Worried about the Captain.” Lyn’s eyes flicked up for a moment meeting Zilla’s worried gaze. “We all are, but if anyone can handle themselves down there with She-Ra it’s the Captain.”

Zilla sighed but then her demeanor changed, her thoughts shifting. “Have you heard the rumors about She-Ra?”

“Which ones?” Lyn asked, though she was fairly certain she knew which one.

“That she defected from the Horde.” Zilla said lowly. There wasn’t anyone else around but that kind of rumor mongering could still get you in trouble if the wrong person heard it.

“I have.” Lyndis replied evenly.

Zilla shifted from foot to foot waiting for more. “Well what do you think?”

Lyn stopped working the knife and looked up at her companion. “I think it’s true.” She said before returning to her work. “It obvious the Captain and her have history, I imagine that must be the root of it.”

Zilla grunted. Obviously if that was true, and Lyn was pretty sure it was, the Horde would never let that information spread. Would never let the idea of defection spread, but you could never stop all the rumors. Most Horde soldiers probably thought nothing more than that, just rumors, but Lyn had something they didn’t. Captain Catra. It was obvious that her and She-Ra had history, bad history, and that rumor fit the bill. There was probably a lot more to it than that, but she wouldn’t know unless someone in  _ the know  _ told her.

“Do you think they were friends?” Zilla asked after a long moment.

“Probably, that would explain the bad blood between them.” Lyn replied.

“Why do you think she left?” Zilla turned toward her now sitting down on the ledge of the cliff they were posted on top of.

“Probably something to do with turning into an eight foot tall warrior princess.” Lyn replied off-hand. 

“I guess that would be a pretty compelling reason.” Zilla scratched at the underside of her long jaws. “Why do you think the Captain stayed?”

“That one I can’t say, I’d have to know more about their history and I don’t.” Lyn said gesturing with her knife.

Zilla nodded and was quiet for a long moment. Slowly, carefully she asked another question. “What would you do if the Captain defected?”

“I’d go with her.” Lyn replied without a moment of hesitation.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Bow I can’t stand this!” Glimmer growled as she paced back and forth by their small fire.

Bow sat on a stump doing some basic maintenance on his bow and arrows. He glanced up from the string he was working on to look at Glimmer. “It hasn’t even been 24 hours yet Glim, the schematics we have for the underground say the place is  _ huge  _ it will take them some time to get out of there.”

“What if she’s hurt?” Glimmer bulled on unperturbed. 

“Catra will help her I’m sure.” Bow said returning his focus back to his work.

“We’re relying on  _ her  _ now?” Glimmer spat.

“We have to, no other choice.” Bow sighed. “We can’t help Adora, doesn’t matter what you think of Catra it’s just them in there and they are the only ones who can do anything about this.” 

“I could teleport past the doors.” Glimmer replied angrily.

“And do what?” Bow looked up at her sternly. “Get ripped apart by mechanical spiders? What good would that do anyone?”

Glimmer grumbled to herself, Bow was right of course but it didn’t make her feel any better.

Bow softened his tone. “I know you’re worried about her Glim, I am too, but if anyone can handle whatever is down there it’s those two.”

“When did you join her fanclub?” Glimmer growled.

“I don’t know her very well, can't really say if I like her or not but I trust Adoa and  _ she  _ likes Catra.” He stopped and restrung his bow. “That’s good enough for me and I do respect her, she is a skilled opponent and an excellent tactician. We’ve suffered enough at her hands to know that. It would be a major boon if she changed sides.”

“You want her to join us?” Glimmer asked furious hands clenched at her sides shaking with rage.

“I do, that would be the best of all possible outcomes.” Bow replied. “It would be a major step in the war.”

“And what if Catra convinces Adora to go back to the Horde with her?” Glimmer asked, anger clouding her judgement.

Bow scowled and stepped up to her looking her directly in the eyes. “Then we haven’t been very good friends to her.”

He swept past her and walked into the forest.

  
  


\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Adora staggered forward another step, one hand braced against the wall beside her. She had come to hate the wall in the brief time she had with it. Another step, her hand slid along the wall and she had to be careful not to slip, her hand was slick with sweat and the wall was smooth. Her heart was pounding so hard it felt like it would burst out of her chest at any moment, it pumped searing fire through her veins with every erratic beat. Sweat dripped down her face plastering loose bangs to her skin, her mouth was dry and tasted of bile, she had to consciously stop herself from retching. She wasn’t sure she could stand again if she fell to her knees to vomit.

This was the third section of wall, one more loomed ahead and she was certain her heart would explode before they made it. Those thoughts flickered only briefly through her mind, it was consumed by the need to get back to Catra. It was all she could think of, just getting to the end of this section of wall and getting back to Catra, then the pain would fade away.

Strangely she could  _ feel  _ Catra on the other side of the wall, like a heat signature she knew Catra was there, her hand over the same spot on the other side as her own hand. The end of the wall finally came and Adora staggered around the partition and into Catra’s arms. They pulled each other as close as possible holding with ferocious strength their bodies shaking with exertion as they sank to their knees together.

Slowly her breathing evened out and her body stopped shaking, she opened her eyes which had been squeezed shut and found herself in the crook of Catra’s neck. Catra’s unruly mane of hair tickled at her face and the scent of her mingled with a tinge of salt from sweat filled Adora’s lungs and soothed her racing heart. Slowly they pulled apart the contact leaving spots of warmth now cold against the air. Adora looked into Catra’s eyes, seeing pain there and the longing that the bond filled their mind with.

“One more Cat.” Adora said weakly.

“I’ll die.” Catra replied flatly.

“I’ll be right behind if you do.” She replied with just as little emotion.

Catra pushed herself upright separating from Adora, she noted that the tug on her heart was not nearly as bad as it had been at the start. A few feet had been painful but now she couldn’t feel the pain though she could still feel her heart pulled towards Adora. At least this was working and they weren’t suffering for nothing.

Adora pushed herself up with a grunt, idly Catra wondered if she would make it, it seemed that this was taking more of a toll on Adora. Catra felt good about that for a second. That she was stronger than Adora in this, but then another thought quietly made itself known to ruin her mood. What did it say about her that she could take the pain of separation better? What did that mean about the past months? Had Adora been suffering more than she had because of their separation? How had she not noticed? She knew Adora better than that, she should have seen if it was affecting her. She had looked for weakness, had sought to exploit any. How had she not seen this?

She was broken from these thoughts by Adora who had caught her breath while Catra was lost in thought. “Come on, last one, let’s get this over with.”

Catra nodded and they stepped off again.

The final stretch. Catra could see the end of the wall ahead, they were almost there. She staggered forward another step and looked to the wall. She wasn’t sure if the pain was making her dizzy or if the silhouette she could see  _ through  _ the wall was really Adora. The shadow staggered and fell to her knees stopping Catra dead in her tracks. If she pushed forward she could feel the pull on her heart get worse,that was Adora, and she was down. 

_ No!  _ Catra thought.  _ No not now Adora, I know you can do this you can’t give up now!  _ She screamed in her mind willing Adora to get up to keep moving, to finish this so they could get back together. 

All she wanted was Adora, her heart pounded in her chest screaming in pain for it’s missing companion. The shadow stood slowly and staggered onwards, another few feet and they had made it. Relief washed over Catra as she rounded the corner and Adora came back into view. They fell against one another and sank to their knees. Adora buried her face in Catra’s neck and sobbed. Catra could feel the hot tears on her neck as Adora buried her face there.

“Don’t let go, don’t let go!” Adora moaned between sobs over and over as she clung to Catra, her hands pulling at Catra’s clothing as she tried to press herself closer. 

She held Adora and waited for the pain to pass, waited for the static in her mind to subside so that she could think clearly again. Adora’s sobs faded away to hiccups and feeling returned to Catra’s extremities with a prickling tingle after a minute or two. She sat there holding Adora against her while they recovered from the ordeal.

Now that her mind had returned to some semblance of clarity she had the impulse to push herself away from Adora, to push away from her touch and shut herself off again, just like she had done for months now. She couldn’t make herself do it, no matter how badly her pride wanted her to, to prove that she didn’t  _ need  _ it. She held onto Adora for a moment longer until the warrior princess was able to steady her breathing and calm herself.

Adora pulled back and favored Catra with a weak smile. “Thank you.”

“For what?” Catra asked quietly, not making eye contact.

“For not letting go.”

Catra rolled her eyes. “It’s the stupid bond.” She defended.

“Thank you anyway.” Adora replied unconvinced.

Adora smiled again and then looked past her at something behind. Catra turned and saw a path leading into the dense forest that surrounded the central course. The square metal corner of some sort of structure peeked up above the trees. 

“Must be the cabin the AI mentioned, somewhere to rest for the night.” Adora said looking up at the darkening fake sky. 

“Do you think it will be any good after all these years?” Catra asked.

Adora shrugged. “It’s First One tech, who knows?” She pushed herself to her feet with a grunt. “If we have to camp we have to camp at least I don’t think we have to worry about it raining in here.”

That was true. Catra eyed the false sky above which was now aglow with the colors of dusk. Catra pushed herself up and gestured Adora forward. “Lead the way.”

They followed the path into the trees a short way and found the cabin sitting atop a small rise. Squat, square and made of a flat unpainted metal with a dark tinted stripe of glass around one side with a door.

“Looks promising.” Adora said observing the structure.

Adora stepped up and fiddled with the control panel set into the wall next to the handle for a moment before it popped open with a hiss. They stepped into the small shack together and surveyed the space. The right side had a smooth vinyl floor with a tiny kitchen and a small two person table. Another door led to the right presumably to a bathroom. To the left was a blue carpeted bedroom area, a single double bed with gray covers took up most of the space, the rest being taken up by two bedside tables and a footlocker. The atmosphere of the bed side was completed by the wide panoramic windows that wrapped around three sides of the bed.

Catra marveled at the space, it was small but well furnished and comfortable. A slight stale smell lingered in the air but there was no dust, no debris from the vast gulf of time this place had lain dormant. The whirr of a ventilation fan spinning up promised even the slight stale smell would not linger. Adora in the meantime had opened the door to the bathroom.

“It’s even got a shower.” She mused almost as if she didn’t believe her own eyes.

“This place is better than my Force Captain quarters.” Catra grumbled.

“This is exactly what I need right now.” Adora replied with a heavy sigh of exhaustion.

Catra crossed her arms and shrugged nonchalantly. “I beat you up in the elevator so you go ahead and take the first shower.” She said it as more of a joke than a jab but the genuine smile Adora gave her in return stopped her train of thought hard. That smile was full of old familiarity, weary humor, and genuine warmth.

It burned in Catra’s heart, those emotions she thought she had buried and forgotten. They now bubbled back to the surface warm and familiar. Apparently not nearly as buried as she had thought, just a few hours alone with Adora was unraveling the careful facade she had crafted over the course of a year.

Adora disappeared into the bathroom and Catra immediately felt the tug on her heart. She met Adora in the doorway.

“Are you gunna?”

“Yeah I’ll just... sit here.” Catra sighed stepping into the bathroom with Adora.

Catra sat down on the toilet seat and rubbed at her face with her hands. She could hear Adora taking off her clothing next to her, back to her in the small bathroom.

She had seen Adora naked plenty of times when they were just cadets that was no big deal. It had been almost a year now since Adora had left and she had done a lot of growing in that time though. She was taller, broader, and more muscular. A vibrant savage beauty emanated from her. A muscular neck led down to broad shoulders and smooth powerful arms, shoulder blades broke up a muscled back that dipped down to firm sides and a toned ass. Muscled legs that had just enough fat on them to smooth the edges of her thick muscle. Clearly she was eating well and had not shirked her training. It was the scars that caught her attention though, eight parallel lines of slightly off-colored skin drawing down from her shoulders to the bottom of her ribs.

_ I did that to her. _

The bottom dropped out of her right then. She felt like she was falling as those scars burned into her retinas cutting through time and space to flay themselves into her mind like her claws had done to Adora’s skin. All the old anger and venom that had led to that moment drained away like a dam had burst and the emotions she had been hoarding up inside herself spilled out. She had done that to her friend, to Adora. She felt fragile, hollow now that the anger was gone from inside her. Like she might crumble into herself and blow away with the wind.

“They don’t hurt.” Adora said softly.

“That doesn’t make it okay.” Catra replied, her voice was weak to her own ears and she felt pathetic.

“No.” Adora said firmly. “But I forgive you.”

“I don’t deserve your forgiveness.” Catra replied finding herself settling into a black pall of self-loathing now that the anger was gone. “I’ve done terrible things, I let my anger control me.”

“We all make mistakes.” The shower sprung to life, steaming hot water poured down and the sound filled the silence between them. The white noise was a small comfort against the resounding silence in her mind as all the terrible things she had said echoed around inside her head. Adora stepped in under the spray. There was no door of course, nothing to separate them, not even a curtain. Catra could feel mist hitting her as the drops hit Adora and splashed, a terribly impractical setup but clearly made for the unique needs of the Heartbound. 

“I should have been there for you when Shadow Weaver tortured you throughout our childhood, I should have gone back with you to the Horde and convinced you to come back with me later instead of breaking my promise to you.” She paused pushing her now wet hair back over her shoulder. “Should have, would have, could have. The fact that you acknowledge your mistakes now, proves that you deserve the forgiveness. Proves that you have grown.”

Catra frowned she had been so set in her mind six months ago. Her anger driving her forward, to prove that she could be a better Force Captain than Adora. To prove to Shadow Weaver that she was worthwhile. How had she let that become what drove her? How could she let impressing that witch become her goal? 

Catra put her head in her hands rubbing her tired face.

All those feelings now crumbled in her hands like cold charcoal, brittle and lifeless. Her emotions scoured clean by the rage that had burned in her for so long, now cold ash in an empty vessel. She breathed out her darkness swirling out of her like smoke in the wind.

Slowly a revelation came over her. Adora needed her, she had made that much clear though Catra didn’t fully understand why, maybe she didn’t need to. She understood now why she needed Adora, something she had been denying vehemently to herself and others ever since their parting. Adora was the only person who knew how to defuse her, the only one who could make her face the complicated ball of emotions that truly drove her. She didn’t even know what it was about Adora that made her actually sift through the emotions inside her, she hadn’t said anything this time. It had just been the scars. Without Adora Catra had been bottling up all her emotions. Anger, pride and spite had been the only things running her. Those emotions were easy to understand, easy to latch onto when everything else was to painful to touch. She couldn’t let anger fuel her though, if she did she would become the thing she hated, she would become Shadow Weaver.

She had almost let that happen, how much longer would she have been able to go on without Adora before the anger burned her up and there was no Catra left? Only the cold anger and ash left inhabiting her body.

She needed Adora to keep her grounded, to keep her sane. Why had it taken her so long to realize? In the shower Catra could see the edge of a smile on Adora’s lips, her head turned slightly towards her with her front to the wall as she scrubbed her hair.

“Shut up.” Catra mumbled.

“I didn’t say anything.” Adora replied.

She didn’t have to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A long one for sure and I still feel it moved to fast. Ah well please let me know what you think of it! Don't expect them to continue coming this fast either I had 80% of this written when I posted the first chapter. Hope you all had good holidays.


	3. Catching up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Catra and Adora catch up a little after training.

** Chapter 3: Catching Up **

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Adora sat on the toilet now drying herself off with one of the fluffy white towels that had been hanging in the bathroom. Catra was in the shower her hands pressed against the wall just letting the water pour down over her. Catra seemed to be in a better state now, no longer angry or snarky just drained physically and emotionally. That was good she needed Catra to let go of everything she had been holding in. It was something Adora had always had to help Catra with even if the feline hadn’t noticed it happening. She knew how to nudge Catra into the right state of mind to open up, to let off the pressure. Now that she had Adora was hopeful she might be able to get back a little of the Catra she knew, to get back her friend.

“You alright in there Cat?” She asked, Catra hadn’t moved in a while simply letting the water cascade over her.

“Just trying to pick up the pieces of what’s left of me.” She replied flatly.

Adora smiled slightly, the fact she was being sarcastic meant she couldn’t be too far out of her head. This also gave her an opportunity to look at Catra. She had seen Cat naked plenty of times before of course, but it had been a while and she had grown, matured.

She was taller, though not by much. Still had a lean musculature, a wiry strength and a defined predatory grace and her body reflected that. There was very little extra meat on her she was all muscle and sinew. The swell of her small breasts and the curve of her hips were more muscle than fat. Adora was certain Catra would probably grow a cup size at least if she let the Rebellion feed her for a few months. The Horde diet nourished but didn’t really encourage growth.

“See something you like?” Catra quipped having caught her staring.

Adora blushed slightly and averted her gaze. “Just thinking that some Rebellion food would do you some good.”

“Can’t be worse than ration bars.” Cat replied pushing herself off the wall and starting to clean herself.

“It’s much better, I bet you’d love it.” Catra had always been eager to steal extra rations and had always sought out her favorite flavors. If you could call the different color rations ‘flavored’. 

“Survival training was always the best.” Adora recalled fondly.

“Getting food from the land did always taste better than rations.” Catra agreed. “You really want me to go back with you huh?”

Adora sighed, staring at the wall in thought.

“No.” She said finally. “No, I want us to be together, doesn’t matter where we go after this as long as we’re together.”

“So you’ll come back to the Horde with me?” Catra asked sarcastically.

“If that’s what you decide to do.” Adora replied quietly.

“They’d kill you.” Catra replied glancing over her shoulder.

“I’m not leaving you again.” 

Catra made a noncommittal humpf and went back to washing herself.

They lapsed into silence then and Adora busied herself by searching the medicine cabinet mounted above the sink. There was a fairly large assortment of various medical supplies inside though Adora didn’t know what most of them did. Carefully reading the labels eventually granted her a tube of multipurpose salve. She applied it to her injured ribs and wrapped gauze bandage around herself before putting her shirt back on.

The shower turned off and Catra stepped out opening her mouth to ask Adora for a towel, but she was interrupted by Adora handing her one.

“Thanks.” Catra took the towel and a moment of… something passed between them. A moment of deja vu almost as Adora pre-empted her asking. The moment passed and they carried on.

Catra blinked away the feeling and began toweling herself off. “How are your ribs?”

“Sore, but getting better. The medicine should help.” Adora watched as Catra toweled her hair resulting in an extra fluffed up mane of hair.

Adora chuckled slightly and Catra gave her a dirty look and shook her head which reduced the fluff a little bit.

“There better be some food in this place.” Catra commented as she began putting her clothes back on. “Three days down here will be rough if there isn’t.”

“If the food here isn’t good we might be able to find something in the forest.” Catra shrugged in half-agreement. “Hope for the best, plan for the worst. Let’s check the kitchen.”

They moved out of the bathroom and into the tiny ‘kitchen’ the shack sported. Calling it a kitchen was probably too generous, there were cabinets, a mini-fridge, and some counter space. No stovetop and only the tiniest of sinks. 

The fridge had several bottles of purified water in neat metal bottles and several packages of something unidentifiable. Whatever that had once been it had clearly gone bad though it seemed contained within it’s packaging, they left that alone. The cabinets were better they had a fairly large collection of packaged meals. Self-contained sealed meals remarkably similar to Horde ration packs. Or perhaps the similarity was not remarkable considering how much the Horde borrowed from First One technology.

The rations were still good and even kinda tasty, at least compared to the copy-cat versions in the Horde. They ate together at the small two person table mostly in silence only occasionally commenting on the food.

“Hah well I feel a hell of a lot better than I did when we woke up earlier.” Adora said resting her head on her arms before her.

“Yeah some sleep will be even better.” Catra looked sidelong at the single bed and at the narrow carpeted floor to either side of it. “You can have the bed, sleeping on the floor would do no good for your injuries.”

Catra looked back and saw Adora looking up at her with her chin on her arms. “Catra, this is the first opportunity I have had in almost a year to get a good night's sleep.” She paused still keeping eye contact with Catra. “You can choose to sleep on the floor or the bed, but we are sleeping together again.”

Catra was slightly concerned by the finality in Adora’s voice, but she wasn’t against sleeping together herself. She wasn’t the only one that had been losing sleep over an empty bed, she had expected Adora to want the space. “The bed then.”

Adora nodded slightly and pushed herself up and away from the table. “Let’s hit it then, I’m beat.”

Catra nodded and stood as well moving over to the bed as Adora turned off the lights. Catra took off her boots and the cloak, Adora took off her boots jacket and sword. They lay down on the bed next to each other, looking up out the glass ceiling at the false sky overhead. One of the moons was in view casting a pale light over them, everything was quiet. Out of the silence Adora became hyper aware of the beat of her own heart. She knew too on some instinctual level that it exactly matched Catra’s that their hearts beat as one now due to whatever the First Ones technology had done to them. Had it ever really been different though? They had always been a pair, separating them had nearly killed them both in one way or another. Adora closed her eyes and relaxed her body. Catra was next to her and even though they weren’t close she could feel the warmth coming from her, could feel the bed bending towards her, could hear her breathing. She was there, and that made all the difference.

\-------------------------------

When Adora woke the next morning she felt better than she had in a long time. During the night the two of them had moved together and Catra was now spooning her. Adora could feel her warm breath against her neck and the press of her body against her back. One arm draped over her midsection the other up under the pillow their legs tangled together. She hadn’t woken up during the night, she hadn’t been plagued by nightmares or ill defined feelings of restlessness. She slept through the night and she felt rested, now she just needed to figure out what to do about the fact they were spooning.

She couldn’t move without waking Catra and she wasn’t sure how Catra would react to waking up like this. It was similar to when they had woken up yesterday, but they had been knocked unconscious that time, they had voluntarily slept together this time. Well Adora had volun _told_ Catra, but she hadn’t complained which meant she had wanted to as well. Though this close together had not been her intention, Adora wouldn’t complain she was quite comfortable. It was so easy for this to feel natural, this closeness with Catra. They had always been physical in the Horde never cautious about touching one another, but that was different than this. This was a different kind of closeness. Deep down Adora knew she _liked_ it, she just didn’t know what that meant, and that scared her. Her feelings for Catra were old, time tested bonds that nothing would break, these new feelings were strange. She didn’t know if this was a development of her feelings for Catra, or something brought on her by the bond. She was worried in some ways that these feelings weren’t genuine, that the bond was creating them.

They had never really slept together like this before, not since they were kids. Catra would sleep at the end of the bed or they would be back to back. This… this was a bit more intimate.

Something strange tickled at the back of her mind like a memory bubbling up from the depths of her mind, but it wasn’t a memory. It was a thought, a fact, a realization, Catra was awake and somehow she knew that even though Catra had not made any signs as to being awake, Adora just _knew._

“Mornin’ kitten.” Adora murmured softly enough so that she wouldn’t wake her if the strange thought turned out to be false.

Catra hummed deep in her chest and nuzzled her face into Adora’s neck, seemingly uncaring for how intimate the gesture was. Adora could feel her face flush and was glad the morning darkness hid her reaction.

“You don’t seem to be in a position to be calling me kitten.” She murmured. “The mighty She-Ra reduced to the little spoon.” Catra teased in a low voice.

Adora could feel the heat burning her face as Catra chuckled into her neck. “I didn’t exactly do this on purpose you know.”

“You’re the one who insisted on sleeping together.” Catra had her there, but she hadn’t intended this.

They lay like that for a while, Adora got the feeling that Catra needed this for herself, just as she had needed to sleep together again.

“Well, no use lazing about in bed if we want to get out of here.” Catra said after a long moment of silence.

With that they untangled themselves and got ready to face their first full day of training. They ate more of the ration packs and upon a little digging found a pair of backpacks so they could take the rest with them. 

Adora reapplied the salve to her ribs along with fresh bandages, already the bruising looked much better and Adora didn’t feel the soreness as sharply. She took what was left of the salve and bandages though she couldn’t make much of the other medicine in the cabinet so she left it. 

Catra stood just outside the bathroom door keeping line of sight between them until Adora was ready to go. 

“Alright let’s see what’s in store for us, shall we?” Adora quipped as they headed out the door.

“Pain, misery, emotional turmoil probably.” Catra replied somewhat less optimistically.

Adora frowned at her but decided not to pursue that line of conversation. Instead she took a last look at the shack disappearing back into the forest behind them. “It’s strange you know.” She paused for a moment. “That little shack sat there for thousands of years untouched just for us to use it for one night and then leave it again for who knows how long.”

“What do you want to stay or something?” Catra asked cocking an eyebrow at Adora.

Adora rolled her eyes. “No, of course no, just a thought.” Adora shrugged and walked down the path, Catra following close behind.

The next several training areas were not as impactful as the wall had been. These challenges were much more familiar to the two ex-cadets. Physical training and endurance, obstacle courses, training dummies. It was all familiar in one way or another, but also strange. They had to stay close to one another and the courses were designed with this in mind, not in such as way as to make them help each other. Indeed the course could be completed without a partner in most cases, it was more that they had to both transverse an area sized for one person. The courses were designed to force them into these situations using walls to pull at their bond if they tried to go one at a time. They had to move together, to flow around each other. They had to occupy the space meant for one together, to share the same breath in order to navigate the courses.

Adora gripped the bars around her pulling her body through the maze of steel, her back pressed down against bars holding her up as she maneuvered her body around the twists in the path. Muscles straining hands seeking purchase around Catra. Catra was on top of her both of them sliding their bodies through the maze of pipework separated by scant inches as they climbed through the maze. By this point they did not get in each other's way, the bond gave them a preternatural sense of where the other was. Even crammed together they did not bump, they didn’t reach for the same handholds, they flowed, their bodies inches apart but never touching unless they meant to. The courses had been reinforcing this in them, using the bond to know where the other was and what they were doing.

They pulled themselves out of the maze and into the clear flopping onto the ground next to each other, exhausted from the arduous climb. 

They lay there next to each other for a moment catching their breath. Adora could still feel Catra’s presence, not merely just that she was nearby and panting. She could _feel_ her, she knew exactly where she was even though she was laid back staring at the false sky high above, she was aware of Catra’s exact position as though her body was her own. The feeling was amplified by how much they had been focusing on the feeling to navigate the obstacles, and it now throbbed in her mind's eye, like a phantom limb. 

She rolled to her feet and moved over to their packs which were only a few feet away at the center of the training area they were in. She pulled out two of the metal bottles of purified water and threw one at Catra. It was only after the bottle had left her hand that she realized Catra didn’t know the heavy metal bottle was coming, but she caught the bottle easily anyway.

Catra glanced at her and that familiar feeling of deja vu swept between them, the way the bond shared information between them. Catra plucked the bottle out of mid air from information fed to her from Adora through their bond.

Adora sucked in a breath and reality snapped back into place. 

“This is going to take some getting used to.” Catra said unscrewing the bottle and taking a long drink from it.

Adora sat down next to her and grunted in agreement. “I guess that is what all this training is for.”

Catra nodded idly swirling the water in her bottle around. “Almost feels like we’re back in the Horde.”

Adora nodded. “Just you and me and training.”

“As shitty as it was at the time I still miss those days.” Catra said with a sigh. “At least things were simple back then, not so god damn complicated.”

Half a dozen cynical comments came to the front of Adora’s mind but she suppressed the urge to voice them. Catra would normally get a kick out of something cynical or darkly humorous, but she was serious now, though the distinction was fine.

“I won’t say that isn’t true.” Adora said slowly. “One thing is simple though.” She looked Catra in the eyes staring into her mismatched pupils. “We’re together forever, now more than ever.”

Catra looked away. “You said that before…”

“And I’ll never make that mistake again. I thought I was strong Cat, I thought I could bear it, I thought I was doing what was right.” Adora shook her head. “I was wrong, maybe the rebellion is the ‘better’ choice less evil than whatever Hordak has planned, but it wasn’t worth hurting you, and it wasn’t worth the damage I did to myself.” 

“So knowing that now, what would you have done then?” Catra asked, leaning against Adora, back to back as they rested.

“I would have went back with you to the Horde.” Adora leaned back into Catra savouring the contact. “I think something would have forced us to choose a side, to make that decision together. The right path would have made itself apparent, to both of us.”

“You think so? I didn’t exactly jump at the opportunity to switch sides even though I could have.” Catra replied evenly.

“You stayed because of what I did, not because of what was right.” Adora shrugged. “My poor decision hurting you, and your stubbornness and anger clouding your judgement.”

Adora made a disgusted noise and spat on the ground. “It doesn’t matter the past is in the past all we can do is go forward.”

Catra stood and offered Adora her hand pulling her to her feet and pulling her close hands gripped together between them. “You and me before everything else.”

“As long as we’re together nothing else matters.” Adora smiled her blue eyes twinkling. “The world could burn down around us but as long as I still have you it’ll be alright.”

Catra squeezed her hand tight and then pushed away. It felt good to know Adora was with her again, to have that looming cloud of doubt gone. The two of them together against the world again, as it should be.

Training continued more tests of agility, endurance and strength focused around making them work around their new bond. Eventually the AI stopped them progressing for the day and directed them towards another of the small shacks for the night.

Catra made some compulsory complaints about not being able to continue the training faster but in truth she was pretty tired. It wasn’t just physical exhaustion either, that was present the training was intense for sure. It was strange though she felt tired in her heart somehow, it wasn’t a painful feeling per se. It made her want to be close to Adora. She had a very strong urge to physically be in contact with her and she didn’t quite know how to feel about that. She and Adora had always been close, physical contact between them was frequent, back then. They had reconciled a lot of their issues and Catra felt a lot more comfortable around Adora than she had when they first came down here, but the bond was making her feel things and she didn’t like having that control taken away from her, she wanted to feel her own feelings, not whatever this bond made her feel. It made her want to deny the feeling to push back against it as was her nature with things she couldn’t control.

Her heart ached though, the pull of it was strong and it would be so easy to just lean up against Adora. She gave in eventually as they approached the shack and she leaned against Adora as she manipulated the door controls. Adora didn’t say anything just angled her body to a more comfortable position. The door opened with a hiss but they didn’t move. Adora stood there with Catra leaning on her seemingly debating in her mind. Her face relaxed decision made and she turned taking Catra into her arms and pulling her close into a hug.

Catra didn’t react right away, it took her a moment to process what was happening, but slowly she wrapped her arms around Adora’s neck pulling her face in close. Her heart swelled with warmth at the contact soothing the ache from earlier.

“I’m scared these feeling aren’t all me.” Adora murmured into her ear.

“Me too.” Catra replied equally quiet, but she didn’t loosen her grip.

“I…” Adora started but then stopped. “I meant everything I have said so far, _I_ feel that, I know that is how I feel regardless of this bond.”

They parted a few inches as the need in their hearts faded slightly. Catra’s arms still rested on Adora’s shoulders, she looked up into Adora’s face her features were soft with emotion a small smile on her lips.

Catra choked down the swell of emotion that threatened to overtake her, Adora’s face swam as tears filled her eyes and she felt herself teetering on the precipice of shattering like glass. Adora’s hands squeezed her sides and she pressed her forehead to Catra’s. Just like that reality snapped back, Catra shuddered and sucked in a breath. The emotion drained away, her eyes cleared and her heartbeat settled down.

“I’m not good with all these feelings.” Catra grumbled when her throat loosened enough for her to speak.

Adora’s blue eyes glanced up at her only inches away with their heads together. “You never have been good at feeling them, always preferred to bottle them up until you exploded.”

Catra smiled wryly. “That’s what I had you for.”

“She-Ra the mighty bottle opener.” Adora quipped rolling her eyes.

Catra laughed, she laughed so hard she had to lean back away from Adora.

“Alright come on.” Adora pushed her through the door into the shack and closed it behind them.

\---------------------------------------------------------------

Steel flashed in the sun, a brilliant reflection off of tumbling metal as the knife spun through the air. It sank into the tree with a solid thunk, the blade quivering with impact for a moment. Hollin relaxed back from her throwing pose and nodded in satisfaction. Lyndis stepped up and took aim with her own blade, the tree that was her target was pocked and splintered from repeated strikes. She threw, the blade stuck into the tree, though not as near to the mark as Hollin’s. She frowned but wasn’t too put out, she hadn’t expected to beat the pilot.

It was Tweek’s turn now. 

The ratfolk was part of the mechanized infantry squad which had shown up with their IFV yesterday. The big boxy tracked personnel carrier had come alongside the big proper tank. Scorpia had decided to call reinforcements in case there was an opportunity to break into the First One ruins, the extra firepower might let them actually fight through the First One bots and actually try and save the Captain. With them here the only part of Catra’s command that wasn’t here was Jackal and his gunship and Entrapta and her two assistants. If you considered Entrapta part of Catra’s command, the command relationship was murky there since Entrapta had no rank or role, but she followed Catra’s orders… more or less.

Tweek was an affable fellow, tall and thin, covered in short brown fur with big ears and a long whiskered nose. The curious reversed digitigrade legs that some of the beastfolk species had, a long pink tail and brilliant green eyes. His body tended towards a slightly hunched posture but even still he was taller than Lyn, though that was no great feat. He had a somewhat menacing appearance and his kind had a slightly sour reputation but Lyndis had never known him to be anything but friendly and soft spoken. His name apparently came from the way his nose twitched, she didn’t know his real name. He also had a penchant for bombs, even now a pair of incendiary bottles were securely strapped to the back of his belt, a thick viscous fluid sloshed within the dark glass bottles as he moved.

He raised his knife, twisted his body, tail moving to maintain his balance as he flowed through the movement releasing the knife to set it flying into the tree where it struck the mark directly. He eased back a smile on his narrow face.

“Looks like I win.” He said looking between the two women.

They both handed over the dessert portion of their rations, a compressed fruit bar, which he took gleefully. He immediately unwrapped one and began munching on it, slipping the other into one of his pockets. 

Hollin shook her head and walked away, Lyn was not much bothered having expected to lose, she had only offered to join due to her boredom. They had been out here watching the ruins for over a day now and nothing had changed. The loss of her dessert ration was a relatively manageable price to pay for some entertainment. 

“So what were the bugs like?” Tweek asked her as he ate the fruit bar.

“Big spider like things, real scary up close but not very tough from afar.” She replied thoughtfully. “I took one down with a rocket and Hollin gunned down a few with her auto-cannons.”

“Hmm, will want fragmentation not incendiaries if it comes to it then.” The rat replied, his whiskers twitching. 

“We’d have to get past those blast door first.” Lyn countered, glancing towards the ruins even though they could not be seen from their camp here.

“True, didn’t bring enough boom to even tickle those, Entrapta would probably have better luck hacking them open.” He paused for a moment.

Both of them looked towards each other at the same moment.

“I should talk to Scorpia about that.”

“I should go get a lot more bomb.”

Lyndis frowned at the demolitionist in a slightly concerned kind of way.

For his part Tweek looked kind of sheepish. “Maybe we should try your way first?”

Lyn nodded slowly, and then changed to a thoughtful expression. “What do you think it would take to blow open that door?” She paused. “Just… for curiosity's sake.”

Tweek smiled in a somewhat unsettling manner.

\-------------------------------------------------------------

Adora was sitting on a very familiar looking toilet in a familiar looking bathroom again. Though ‘sitting’ was a generous term, it was more of a sprawl with her feet against the opposite wall and her head resting on the tank. Catra peered at her from in the shower a few feet away.

“You trying to flatter me or something?” Catra quipped raising an eyebrow in question.

Adora looked over confused.

Catra gestured at her. “Since when do you sit like that?”

Adora took note of herself and had to agree, it was kind of unlike her, but she had just automatically done it. She sat up righting herself. “Dunno just kinda did it.”

Catra shrugged and went back to washing her hair.

Adora let the conversation drop for a long moment. “How are the others?” She asked after a while.

“Others?” Catra asked confused for a moment before a small buzz in the back of her mind directed her thoughts. “Oh Kyle, Lonnie and them.”

Catra pushed her hair back over her head and stood under the spray to let the soap rinse out. “Can’t honestly say, pretty soon after you left they split us all up. They all got assigned to far off parts of the Horde, didn’t want people who knew you all in one place I guess.”

Adora hummed in thought. “It’s strange, I knew them for so long but… I don’t really know if I would really call any of them friends.”

“Most of them didn’t like me, that might have had something to do with why they kept their distance.” 

“To be fair you put most of them in the infirmary once or twice.” Adora replied with a wry smile.

“Hey I put _you_ in the infirmary more than once.” Catra fired back.

“Well I never did mind a few _playful_ cat scratches.” Adora replied easily. The comment was probably a bit more... suggestive than she usually was but, maybe it was just having Catra back bringing out the sarcastic and suave in her.

Catra’s eyebrows did a little dance on her forehead between curiosity, surprise, and anger. “I oughta come over there and scratch the shit out of you for that one.”

“Don’t threaten me with a good time.” Catra leapt out of the shower at her.

\--------------------------------------------------------

Adora gingerly applied disinfectant to one of the three claw marks on her cheek having just stepped out of her turn in the shower. It stung and she sucked in a hiss of breath.

“Yeah how’s that for a good time?” Catra teased.

“Who ever said wrestling with naked women wasn’t a good time?” Adora refused to admit defeat, and there was a bit of truth to that. Catra naked, wet, and on top of her hadn’t been unpleasant, despite the claws.

“Ooooh Adora.” Catra put a hand on her cheek playing at mock scandal. “I didn’t know you swung that way!” She stepped up close leaning on the sink next to her and whispering in a husky tone.

“Hey Adora.”

Adora felt her train of thought derail, all the organized threads in her mind piling up into a catastrophic hundred car accident. She knew Catra was just playing the game, just teasing but they way she had done that made her mouth go dry. A response didn’t rise and the spell was only broken when Catra started laughing.

“You should have seen the look on your face!” Catra laughed stepping away.

Adora let out a breath and she managed to partially stop the blush blooming on her cheeks. The bond was messing with her, that had to be it. 

She put the medical supplies away and followed Catra out into the main room. They did a quick search of the place now that they were refreshed from their shower and found it was nearly the same as the first shack. More water and spoiled something in the fridge, more ration packs in the cabinets. The only difference was that the footlocker at the end of the bed had a sleeping bag in it with clips for the back packs they had found in the first shack.

“So what’s the rebellion like?” Catra asked as they ate at the small one-and-half person table.

Adora pondered how to answer that for a moment as she chewed. “It’s a lot different, less… militant, at least for us. The regular soldiers are probably not too far off from something we would recognize, but it’s different at the castle.” Adora stopped but hummed. “It’s a lot more than that though, the people there are more…” She struggled to find a word to accurately describe what she wanted to say. “Free, more passionate about the things they do. It’s less ordered than the Horde, which hurts them during war like this, but…” She sighed. “I think it makes it all the more worth fighting for.”

Catra mulled that over. “I think… I think I kind of understand that.” Adora cocked an eyebrow at her and she elaborated. “Every day I look at my soldiers, the things they do in their free time, the things they talk about. If they had a choice, most of them wouldn’t be soldiers, they have been forced into this.” She frowned. “They all come to me as rigid automatons but I’m much more… lax than other Force Captains, they have the time and space to relax and be themselves, even just a little bit.”

“You care about them.” Adora said simply.

“Yeah, it’s… weird having people who are loyal to you, soldiers who will do whatever you ask of them because they trust you.” Catra looked aside hands idly twisting the fork in her hand, suddenly self conscious. “I’m worried about what will happen to them if I leave.”

Adora smiled softly. “I always knew you would make a better Force Captain than I would.”

Catra looked up confused.

“I hope I don’t sound… pompous when I say I think I make a pretty decent hero.” Catra raised a sarcastic eyebrow and Adora held up her hands. “Let me finish before you make fun of me. I think I am a good She-Ra, a good lone…” She grasped for a word. “Emblem for people to rally behind, the people of the rebellion have certainly been happy enough to put the war on my shoulders because I am She-Ra.” She smiled tiredly. “I can put in the time to be strong, I can hide my feelings well enough to _appear_ strong, but I cannot lead an army. You can.”

Catra hummed noncommittally but Adora continued warming to the subject.

“You are what the Rebellion needs, a general. The two of us together I’m sure we could take down the Horde.”

“If the princess’ ever deign to even talk to me let alone lead their armies.” Catra replied sourly.

Adora’s face fell, but then hardened with resolve. “They will if they want She-Ra to keep fighting for them, together or nothing.”

Catra leaned back in her chair eyes unfocused as she mulled it over in her head.

Adora gave her a small smile. “General Catra.”

Catra’s lips curled up and she flicked her eyes to Adora’s, those sky blue irises alive with inner mirth and a twinkle of mischief.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit of fluff, a bit of setup for future stuff. I don't feel this chapter was the most substantial so I guess you'll just have to settle for a little gross fluff until more plot stuff happens. Let me know what you think I love hearing from yall.


	4. Deep Dive

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Catra and Adora finish the physical part of Heartbound training and move on to the mental aspect.

Chapter 4: Deep Dive

* * *

  
  


Catra woke softly, consciousness coming to her warm and slow like syrup. She was comfortable and content, a rare state for her. Her head rested on Adora’s chest the gentle thump-thump of her heart drumming like a basso lullaby in her ears. Adora’s arm wrapped around her shoulders holding her against her as she slept. Right then the rest of the world seemed so far away. All the problems of her real life, the hard decisions, past mistakes, and uncertain tomorrows just didn't seem real here and now. She was too absorbed in the simple comfort of being close with Adora.

Adora awoke herself a moment later. “Mornin’ kitten.”

Catra opened her mouth to retort at the nickname but Adora squeezed her slightly and chuckled. “Come on you’re all but purring.”

“You’re lucky I’m comfortable or I’d scratch the shit out of you.” Adora seemed to doubt her sincerity as Catra buried her face deeper into Adora’s neck instead of attacking her. Catra was normally quite keen on making sure her threats were duly respected, but she would let Adora off this time on account of her being a good pillow.

They managed to get themselves out of bed before too long and eat before heading out again.

Shortly they found themselves walking along the narrow path leading towards the far end of the long training area. There were no obvious training courses yet just the narrow path through the forest.

“How are your ribs?” Catra asked for lack of anything else apparent to say but somehow uncomfortable with the silence between them.

Adora patted her side and smiled. “Almost good as new, I’m glad nothing broke though that would have been inconvenient.”

“Yeah, we would have been stuck down here a lot longer if you had been injured like that.” Catra replied.

“Let’s just be glad it didn’t come to that.” Adora turned her gaze to the false sky high above. “I don’t want to be down here any longer than we have to.”

Catra agreed with that, though the thought of leaving also filled her with a certain amount of dread, what would happen when they got out? Where would they go? Adora seemed to read her thoughts and Catra couldn’t honestly tell if she had been tipped through their bond or if she could simply read her that well.

“We should have some kind of plan for when we get out of here.” Adora said casually, as though she wasn’t suggesting they discuss matters of life changing importance.

Catra sighed heavily, but Adora was right. “I suspect my soldiers will be out there waiting for us to come out.”

Adora nodded. “Glimmer and Bow are probably also out there waiting.”

“I…” Catra started but then stopped the words seeming to catch in her throat.

Adora very pointedly did not look at her letting her work through the block without embarrassing her further. Even though Catra knew full well Adora could tell she was having difficulty. Catra was irritated that her emotions were getting the better of her but she appreciated Adora trying to save her dignity.

“I don’t know how my soldiers will react if I tell them I’m leaving.” She slowed her pace, eyes downcast. “I don’t even know how to tell them.”

Adora tilted her head side to side a few times as though she were physically sloshing the thoughts in her head around. “You are decided on defecting then?”

Catra straightened her posture and looked to Adora. “I don’t see any other option, they would kill you if you came with me, and they would kill me if they found out it would also kill you.” Catra shook her head. “No I am done with the Horde, I suspect Hordak would have tried to dispose of me at some point anyway.”

Adora raised a questioning eyebrow. 

“I was becoming stronger than he would have liked, the soldiers are loyal to me, not to him I was making a name for myself garnering respect from the soldiers. He didn’t care for that.”

Adora nodded in understanding. “Do you think they will defect with you?”

“Some of them will I’m sure, I just don’t know how many or what the ones who won’t defect will do in response.”

“Truth be told I am worried about bringing you back to the rebellion as well.” Adora admitted.

Catra didn’t need that one explained, she had given the rebellion plenty of reasons to hate her.

“I think I could convince Queen Angela to give you a chance, I am more worried about Glimmer and Frosta. Glimmer has an exceptionally strong distaste for you.” Adora said perhaps a little more nonchalantly than she should have considering she was talking about two of the people who mattered most to her in the world and their hatred for each other.

“To be fair I did hand her over to Shadow Weaver which is just about the worst thing I could possibly imagine doing to someone.” Catra replied, a moment later her thoughts caught up with her and a wave of guilt washed over her.

Adora sensing this sudden guilt wrapped her arm around Catra’s lower back and pulled her against her. 

“Dwelling on the past won’t make it go away, we have to look to the future.” 

Catra breathed out a deep sigh and nodded. “I’ve got a lot to be guilty about.” 

Adora squeezed her again before letting her go. “We all make mistakes, people like you and I just have a grander stage to make them on.”

Catra shook her head, even in her current state of self loathing she realized Adora had high expectations on her shoulders, her ‘stage’ was grander than them all. “Being She-Ra must be hard on you, it’s a different kind of pressure than what I had on me. If I failed too many times Hordak would just have me executed and replace me, but what happens when She-Ra fails?” Adora’s expression fell slightly. “For someone like you dying is just a price to pay if you win, if your death saves the day it was worth it, but failure is a worse fate than death, for someone like you.”

Adora smiled weakly. “It is a lot of pressure, but I have good friends to support me, and now I have you back.”

She saw through the thinly veiled pain under that expression, but now was not the time to press her. Catra smirked and cocked her head. “What I’m not included in ‘friends’?” She teased opting to change course instead.

Adora only smiled, emotion filled her eyes as they looked at her sidelong, but Catra couldn’t decipher the feeling. “No, you’re more than that.”

They passed out of the forest and into a large clearing breaking the moment, and distracting Catra from pursuing that comment farther. The area was a massive circular clearing, two-hundred meters across at least. The center of the clearing was taken up by an enormous tank of some kind. The water within was a dark impenetrable blue and strangely still, nothing on the surface of the water, no plants, no debris, just perfectly smooth still water. Peering down into the tank there was no bottom in sight. A narrow metal catwalk led out to a cylinder emerging from the center of the pool.

“Seems pretty straightforward to me.” Catra said.

Adora shrugged and they dropped their bags at the edge and walked out onto the platform. 

“I can’t tell how far down it goes.” Adora said looking over the edge.

Catra with her better dark vision peered over. “Deep, I can’t see the bottom, and the water is clear.” Her eyes narrowed as she scanned the depths. “Nothing in there either, no fish or plants at all, it’s perfectly clean.”

“Do you think the water is toxic or something?” Adora asked eyeing the water with a little more apprehension. 

Catra shrugged. “Dunno, I would think there would be some stuff growing in there, it’s hard to make it toxic to _everything,_ but it’s also First Ones tech so who knows?”

“Lets see what we’re supposed to do here before we worry about that.” They walked to the central platform which was a small circular walkway around a cylinder emerging from the pool below. As they stepped onto the platform the cylinder rose slowly until it was about eight feet tall. The sides split open with a hiss revealing a pair of person shaped indentations. 

They stepped closer to examine it. The two panels of siding had opened and on the inside of each was a soft padded person shaped indentation. They looked at each other, Catra shrugged and stepped up into the device leaning back into the indentation.

“Hey it’s even got an opening for my tail!” Catra said with surprise, Adora could see it swaying happily between her legs apparently pleased at not being smushed against the back of the padding.

Adora chuckled and stepped up into the other side. The padding seemed to fit her perfectly, she wasn’t sitting on anything but the way the ‘seat’ held her took most of the weight off of her feet, it wasn’t quite soft either. The material was strange rather than being soft or coarse or anything it felt more like it wasn’t there at all, just enough give to make it feel like you were grabbing nothing and a texture that defied feeling.

The machine beeped and the cylinder began to slide closed pushing Adora and Catra closer together. The cylinder was smaller than it first appeared and now with it closed they were very nearly pressed against one another, Adora could feel Catra’s breath on her skin, though she could barely see her now that the cylinder was sealed. This was nothing new of course they had spent a lot of time close over the past two days, but this still made her feel warm. She could feel a light burning of her cheeks and was glad that it was dark enough that even Catra wouldn’t be able to see.

Light poured over them as the walls of the cylinder split into thousands of tiny hexagons. From the top down the hexagons dissolved leaving nothing behind but the impression of light burned into Adora’s eyes. Soon there was no cylinder. It was just her and Catra there in the center of the platform, it hadn’t gone anywhere Adora could still feel the seat. Though only if she focused as the material tried not to be felt. The walls of the cylinder had gone completely transparent, even the cushions they were seated in.

“Whoa.” Catra mumbled looking around with wide eyes.

“First Ones tech is really something.” Adora agreed.

With the slightest jolt the cylinder began to slide downwards and soon their field of view was surrounded by water. The deeper they went the harder it became to see, the water became more and more blue and then black as the walls of the tank slipped into darkness. Soon the only thing she could see was the faint glow of Catra’s feline eyes and eventually even that faded into darkness. 

“I can’t see anything.” Adora said. The words seemed harsh and loud in the tiny space and she immediately flinched, surprised by the sound of her own voice.

“I can’t either.” Catra replied much quieter, though somehow her voice still seemed harsh.

Adora just closed her mouth, there wasn’t much to say anyway they were surrounded by total blackness. Sensory deprivation, she could see nothing, feel nothing, hear nothing. Even the faint sounds of her own breathing were difficult to make out.

Her thoughts drifted. With nothing to focus her mind on, she let it wander. The events of the past few days, what her friends were doing while she was down here, what she would do once they got out of here, and what her soldiers would do then.

Adora paused. She opened her mouth to say something.

_Did your thoughts just slip into my head?_

Adora couldn’t tell if she had thought that. From there everything cascaded, she had nothing with which to ground herself to _herself._ The only thing that existed down here was her own thoughts and now they were bleeding together with Catra’s. Adora could feel it happening, she squeezed her hands into the seat she tried to do something to keep her grounded, but she had the distinct impression of claws digging into the cushion, Catra was squeezing the seat. Or was she squeezing and Catra’s body was responding? She couldn’t tell where she ended and Catra began.

Catra started to panic. Adora could feel it bleeding into her thoughts like it was her own, Catra was trying to stay within herself trying not to drift together. No, she was trying not to drift out of herself. Adora had been doing the same though Catra seemed more desperate to stay in herself. There was a primordial fear in this, losing oneself into this dark abyss, a mind freed from it’s body but how could you be sure you would get back? Adora knew that would get to Catra, that the idea of losing herself terrified her more than anything else, it was why she hated Shadow Weaver so much. The ability to take Catra out of herself and puppet her body. This must have brought back those moments when Shadow Weaver pried into her mind.

Adora pushed her own fear aside, she had to, Catra was on the edge of unraveling. She reached out to her and their minds touched.

A whirlwind of thought exploded in her head.

Memories, from her childhood, times she recognized but from Catra’s point of view, training together, playing and getting in trouble together, sitting on the rooftop together she saw herself framed by the warmth of Catra’s memories. Then the day when she broke her promise, she saw herself through Catra’s eyes and it tore at her heart. The pain and betrayal shattering her into a thousand pieces and the fiery anger rising inside her.

Then there were her memories, Bow and Glimmer in Brightmoon, SeaHawk and Mermista, the battle in the temple, searing fire cut across her back as she re-lived those moments with Catra seeing through her eyes.

Catra again, standing in front of her soldiers pride in her heart, the anger of betrayal now a distant ember. 

Adora riding Swift Wind high above the landscape below, the whispering wood stretched out beneath her as she soared through the air. The memories kept on coming blurring and blending together in an ever increasing maelstrom of thoughts, feelings, and sound. A crescendo building higher and higher until Adora thought her mind would collapse, but just as quickly as it had built, the storm subsided and she found herself floating in a sea now calmed. The entirety of their combined existence floated around her, around them, for Catra was with her, Catra was her, and she was Catra. They were one and their memories floated around them like mist in a beam of light.

They floated there like that recovering from the violence of the earlier storm. Adora reached out and pulled at a memory floating through the hazy dream around them. It was a memory from a few months after she had deserted the Horde. She was in her grand room in Brightmoon. She lay on the huge soft bed and stared at the ceiling, dead tired but unable to sleep. The doors to the balcony were open and the breeze made her cold so she got up and closed them. Then she took a moment to light a fire in the small stone fireplace and then got back in bed. Shortly the room became too hot and she got up again to douse the fire and open the doors once again.

_It’s not the temperature keeping you awake._

Of course it wasn’t, the barracks could be intermittently sweltering hot, or deathly cold depending on what machinery was on where and Adora had long since adjusted to sleeping in uncomfortable temperatures.

_It was you._

A warmth blossomed in her chest, in their chest.

Catra brought forth a memory. Her, wide awake in a small bed in a small room, her private room in the Horde, her reward on promoting to Force Captain. The Captain's badge lay on the table beside her, no comfort now as she rolled and sprawled across the bed this way and that trying to get comfortable without success. 

_I was the same._

They stayed like that for some time, together as one letting memories drift by and experiencing them together. Their shared memories bleeding into each other, shared experience, shared emotion.

It came to an end eventually. Slowly they were pulled apart, their connection faded once more as they returned to themselves, no longer one but two, connected. The final tenuous edges of the dream faded when Adora could make out the edge of Catra’s face in the darkness. Feeling flowed back into her body with the prickling sensation of blood returning to a sleeping limb.

The cylinder rose slowly through the lightening water, giving their eyes time to adjust back from the darkness to the light. When the sides hissed open and they stepped out back onto the platform at the center of the pond, the false sky above was bathed in golden light. It was evening now, they had been down there for most of the day.

Adora closed her eyes and memories flickered in her mind's eye. Memories of time with Hollin, with Lyndis, Tweek, and Zilla. Memories that she hadn’t experienced, but were nonetheless hers now. 

“Damnit.” Adora turned to Catra who had a scowl on her face. “I like Glimmer now because of you.”

Adora laughed. “I bet it won’t be so easy to get her to like you!”

Catra frowned, exaggeratedly. “Maybe I’ll go back to hating her if she’s mean to me.”

Adora rolled her eyes and Catra’s scowl softened into a smirk. 

“That was… something else though.” Adora said softly looking down into the dark water.

“It was, I still kind of feel like I’m not completely back in myself…” Catra replied, her hands coming up and grasping at the air in front of her. “But I’ve also got bits of you in me now. It’s strange having memories that aren’t mine, but they’re your memories and it doesn’t feel so bad. It's not like when she messed with my head.”

Adora stepped closer and pulled Catra against her. “I don’t think that will happen again, whatever that was, not unless we went back down there.”

Catra hummed in agreement. “Now let's go find the next cabin, I want to lay down.”

Adora had to agree, even though the dive had not been physical in any way she was still tired down to her core, as though her mind had been kneaded and rolled out like dough. They retrieved their bags and walked off the other side of the platform and back onto the path leading towards the end of the training hall. Though it was no longer ‘the far end’ closer now than where they had started.

“We should get out of here tomorrow right? Three days.” Catra mused as they walked.

“Should be, then it’s back to the real world for us.” Adora quipped.

“The real world.” Catra repeated more somberly. “Back to the war.”

Adora frowned. “Back to the war.” She agreed. “But, together nothing can stop us, not Hordak, not the Princesses, not anyone.”

The edges of Catra’s mouth twitched up in a smile. “Especially not now that we are Heartbound.”

* * *

They stood in front of the final cabin, the last nicety before going back out into the world above.

“This is just our luck isn’t it?” Catra asked rhetorically.

Adora crossed her arms over her chest and frowned at the ruined structure.

The small metal cabin was crushed beneath a hefty piece of ceiling. Craning upwards she could just make out where it had come from by the disturbance the missing piece made in the artificial sky.

“Well at least we brought the sleeping bag and extra ration packs.” Adora replied with a sigh, she had been looking forward to a nice hot shower.

“Gunna be cozy tonight with both of us in one sleepingbag.” Catra commented with a slight smirk.

Adora blushed slightly, she hadn’t thought about that. She tried to tell herself that it wasn’t any different, they had ended up snuggling no matter where they started the night, being cocooned against her was hardly any different. For some reason that didn’t really help her control her blushing, she hoped the semi darkness would hide it a little.

“Alright let's get some firewood.” She said, looking off into the forest to avoid looking at Catra.

“Yeah, just like survival training.” Catra said with a slightly wistful expression.

Adora smiled remembering. “I remember the look on your face when I told you you walked through poison ivy.”

Catra grimaced and looked away. “I was paranoid for days after that.”

“I recall you getting even by pushing me into the river.” Adora replied as she gathered loose sticks and kindling. “And then I got sores from marching in wet socks.”

Catra chuckled at the memory. “Hey I rubbed your feet in compensation, I hadn’t intended for that.”

“I remember.” Adora reassured her. “And I rubbed ointment on your back when you did get poison ivy.”

“I remember.” Catra replied with a grimace.

Catra picked up the sword and took a piece of flint from her pocket and began striking one against the other showering sparks into their little firepit.

Adora frowned slightly as Catra used the Sword of the Protector as a striker, but shrugged the thought away, it was an ancient First One artifact, a flint wasn’t going to hurt it. A feeling stayed with her though, something she couldn’t quite describe as she watched Catra with the sword. It struck her a moment later. Normally when someone else held the sword it made her vaguely uneasy, the sword was connected to her and it felt strange when other people held it. That feeling was missing now, Catra holding the sword didn’t feel strange. Another effect of the bond she supposed.

Catra got the fire going and coaxed it larger until it was a fine campfire. Adora busied herself with clearing some space around the pit, rolling over a fallen log to sit on and putting up their sleeping bag. It was actually a pretty nice one, thick and insulated with a water resistant exterior. It had straps for hanging it like a hammock between trees and so that’s what Adora did. It looked pretty comfortable when it was done.

“Hmm maybe it won’t be so bad out here tonight, though I wonder how cold it’s going to get.” Catra said breaking into her reverie.

Adora turned and found Catra heating water in one of the metal bottles in the fire. She had a few of the ration packs out next to her readying them for them for heating. Adora sat down on the log across from her and gazed into the fire. The air was starting to cool and the warmth of the fire felt good seeping into her tired body. Her thoughts drifted in and out of focus as she sat mesmerized by the dancing flame, thoughts of the war, the battles, and the future ebbing and flowing like the fire.

She was broken from her thoughts when Catra tapped a steaming ration pack against her arm. 

“Thanks.” She smiled, taking the food and stirring it with the plastic spoon sticking out of the pack.

Catra just grunted in ackowledgement and took up her own. A flurry of thought exchanged between them, Adora had said thank you out loud, but she needn’t have bothered, her appreciation flowed through their bond more accurately than words could describe. The information continued to flow between them and they sat silently communicating through their bond.

_Catra liked her food, some sort of hearty stew._

_Adora was waiting a moment longer for hers to cool a bit more._

_Catra offered Adora a taste of hers._

She leaned over and Catra spooned a scoop of rehydrated vegetables and meat into her mouth.

It was good. She took a bite of her own food, a noodle dish with a healthy portion of vegetables and rice, she had one of these before the first night and liked it.

_She offered Catra a taste and she accepted._

Catra took the offered spoonful and chewed thoughtfully.

_It was good, but she liked the stew better._

All this without a spoken word between them. It was strange, they didn’t ‘talk’ to each other through the bond, they shared thoughts, impressions, feelings. Both more and less precise than speaking.

When the food was done and cleaned up they sat there next to the fire as the artificial sky grew dark overhead.

“I miss the wind.” Catra said after a long moment of silence. “I want to feel the wind on my face again, the air is still down here.”

Adora nodded. “I miss the sun, the fire reminded me how good the warmth feels and the fae sky down here doesn’t do it justice.”

“Don’t get much sun in the Fright Zone.” Catra replied.

Adora smiled sidelong at her, an image coalesced in her mind. It was the balcony of her room at the castle, the sun was shining and a warm breeze drifted past the high tower. Catra was laying on the broad marble rail of the balcony one arm behind her head, her face turned towards the sun, eyes closed and a small smile curling her lips as the bright rays shone down on her. Her mane was messy as usual and ruffling in the breeze. No armor, no weapons, no worries. The image filled her heart with warmth and longing for that time and that place. She wanted _that_ so badly, she hadn’t felt anything so strongly or so certainly in a long time, not since she had first become She-Ra.

Catra could feel something of what Adora was thinking, but not precisely what. An impression of warmth, tenderness, and something else, something sweet and soft that she couldn’t identify, though she knew these feelings were directed at her.

Adora didn’t notice the slight curious gaze Catra gave her, lost in her imagination as she was.

“Hey! You ready for bed airhead?” Catra asked breaking Adora from her reverie.

Adora blinked returning to reality. “Yeah I’m ready.”

Adora looked at the hanging sleeping bag and felt warmth rise to her cheeks, but pushed it down. She took off her shoes and jacket setting them aside before climbing into the hanging bed and settling herself in. Catra climbed in after her, hovering over her as she reached back to zip the sleeping bag closed pulling them closer together as the bag closed until Catra was pressed against her chest. She pulled the thin mesh cover over to keep the bugs out and then settled down against Adora’s side. 

Adora lay there in the dark for a while after Catra had fallen asleep against her. The image from early played in her mind again and her heart filled with such pressure. 

Love, she realized.

Things all fell into place when she realized she loved Catra. The concept was still strange to her, Bow had recommended her several books, a few of the many she had ravenously consumed since leaving the horde. She hadn’t realized it until now having never experienced it personally before. She felt better now that she knew her feelings again, she would have to tell Catra, maybe when they got to Brightmoon.

She wondered how Catra would respond as she drifted off to sleep.

**Author's Note:**

> It has been a while since I wrote anything serious like this but I couldn't resist. I love the setting and the characters so I decided to actually put this out there. I will warn you all I'm a slow writer and I can get a bit technical with military stuff I intend to go a little deeper into the details of the war once we get to that point. Anyway I hope you all liked it and I hope to hear from you in the comments if you liked it, or didn't like it.


End file.
